Victor Wembanyama scored 40 points in just 26 minutes to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 136-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. The performance highlighted his dominance on both ends of the court, including four blocks and two steals. Post-game, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson criticized the NBA's All-Star selections for overlooking teammates De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle.
The San Antonio Spurs improved to 37-16 with their second-place standing in the Western Conference after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 136-108. Victor Wembanyama led the way with 40 points, 25 of which came in the first quarter, allowing him to sit out the fourth as the Spurs secured a comfortable win. He achieved this in 26 minutes, becoming the fifth player in the shot clock era to score 40 points in that timeframe and joining Patrick Ewing as one of only two with a 40-point double-double in 26 minutes or fewer.
Wembanyama's efficiency was evident, draining four 3-pointers and scoring inside with dunks, layups, and turnaround jumpers. Defensively, he recorded four blocks and two steals, deterring Lakers drives to the rim. The Lakers were missing key players including Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Deandre Ayton, which contributed to the lopsided result.
After the game, Wembanyama emphasized the need to perform against all opponents. "What got me going was just honestly proving myself a point, proving my team a point," he told reporters. "I'm not worried about us, not worried about me against good teams, but history has showed that I need to be worried about us against teams like this. So yeah, I mean, we don't just talk about what we need to do. We need to actually act."
He also discussed being benched in the fourth quarter: "I was also pushing to go back, but I mean, they did the right thing by keeping me on the bench. We got to think long term. But yeah, these kind of games, you got to have the greed."
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson voiced frustration over the NBA All-Star Game selections, where seven teams including the Lakers, Knicks, Raptors, Nuggets, and Rockets have multiple representatives despite worse records than the Spurs' 37-16. Wembanyama was selected as a starter, but Johnson questioned the omission of De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle among reserves, chosen by head coaches. "I do think it’s very interesting that De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle have not been named an All-Star," Johnson said via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
Veteran Harrison Barnes echoed the sentiment: "It would be criminal if him [Castle] or Fox didn’t get a look [as All-Stars]. We’re No. 2 in the West. Teams below us have two All-Stars."
The Spurs trail the Oklahoma City Thunder by 3.5 games and have beaten the defending champions four times this season.
