Wembanyama Drops 38 and 16
Victor Wembanyama posted 38 points and 16 rebounds against the Pistons in a dominant performance. The Spurs also had chaotic final possessions in their nationally televised game against the Clippers that went down to the wire. Other standout performances included Jokić's 28/12/13 triple-double vs. Lakers and the Warriors grinding out a 115-113 OT win over the Rockets.
In addition to his 38 points and 16 boards, Victor Wembanyama also recorded five blocks as the Spurs beat the Pistons 121-106. San Antonio never trailed in the game, completing a season sweep of Detroit in their first game back home after a road trip that lasted nearly a month. The performance came in front of 30 of his countrymen who traveled from France to see him play. The Spurs' wild win over the Clippers came after they erased a 25-point deficit. An emotional Wembanyama, who had 27 points and 10 rebounds in that game, called it "close to the hardest game of my life" and was seen in tears afterward. The chaotic final minute against the Clippers included a go-ahead dunk from Wembanyama with 16 seconds remaining. That was followed by a Clippers turnover when Nicolas Batum stepped on the sideline during an inbound pass, and the game was sealed when the Spurs' Stephon Castle rebounded his own missed free throw and scored with one second left. Nikola Jokić's 28-point, 12-rebound, 13-assist effort marked his 23rd triple-double of the season. In that same game, a 120-113 Nuggets victory, LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most career field goals made in NBA history. The Warriors' overtime victory against the Rockets was secured by a short-handed squad playing without Stephen Curry, who missed his 12th consecutive game. Brandon Podziemski led Golden State with 26 points, while De'Anthony Melton added 23, including a crucial tip-in layup with 5.3 seconds left in OT.
