Victor Wembanyama notches first career triple-double as Spurs defeat Pistons

The human stat-sheet stuffer Victor Wembanyama needed just 32 games to notch his first career triple-double. The 7-foot-4 rookie reached the milestone Wednesday night as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Detroit Pistons 130-108.

Wembanyama dished out his 10th assist midway through the fourth quarter, finishing with 16 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and no turnovers in 21 minutes. He entered the night averaging 19.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a league-leading 3.3 blocks per game for the Spurs, who improved to 6-30 with the win.

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft previously tallied a 21-point, 20-rebound performance on Dec. 8 against the Chicago Bulls and notched a career-high 38 points against the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 2.

Not even Wemby’s best

Wemby’s first triple-double wasn’t even close to his best game as a pro. He was just 6-for-16 from the floor and failed to hit a 3, but his impact on the game elsewhere popped. His 10 assists were highlighted by a nutmeg pass between the legs of Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanovic. He was active on the glass, getting his hands on a lot of 50-50 balls.

It was a very solid performance that was boosted because his teammates were making shots. — James Edwards III, Pistons beat writer

Two-way domination

The Pistons looked terrified to go anywhere near Wembanyama on offense. Many shots in the paint were short, even when he didn’t have a realistic chance of getting to the ball. Other shots had way too much loft as Detroit players tried their hardest not to get their attempts swatted to Windsor.

Wemby didn’t even record a block in the game, but his presence around the rim was felt for the entire 21 minutes he was on the court. — Edwards

Pistons starting another losing streak?

Both Detroit and San Antonio are on pace to be historically bad teams, but the Pistons seriously may end up with the worst record in NBA history. Detroit, which was without starters Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart, are in the midst of a five-game losing skid, less than two weeks after ending an NBA-record 28-game losing skid. — Edwards

Required reading

(Photo: Brian Sevald / NBAE via Getty Images)