This is the kind of rare stat line the San Antonio Spurs envisioned when they landed the No. 1 pick in last summer’s draft.
Victor Wembanyama overwhelmed the Toronto Raptors Monday night on both sides of the court with his second career triple-double. This time, he did it with blocks.
The rookie Spurs center posted 27 points, 14 rebounds, 10 blocks, five assists and two steals in a 122-99 blowout of the Raptors in Toronto. He shot 10 of 14 from the field, 2 of 4 from 3-point distance and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line. He did it all in 29 minutes. His seven turnovers marked the only blemish on his stat line.
The feat arrives just weeks after Wembanyama’s first career triple-double. In that game, a 130-108 win over the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 10, Wembanyama posted 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. It took him all of 21 minutes to do it.
Wembanyama recorded his career-high ninth block late in the third quarter on Monday with a stuff of a Scottie Barnes dunk attempt from behind.
His 10th block emphatically sent back a Gradey Dick putback attempt with 6:35 remaining and secured the triple-double.
The 112-87 Spurs lead at that point was big enough that head coach Gregg Popovich felt comfortable pulling his prized rookie from the game.
Monday’s effort puts Wembanyama in rare company. Per ESPN, he’s the first player since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1996 to tally 20-plus points, 10-plus rebounds, 10-plus blocks and five assists in a single game.
Per StatMuse, he’s only the fourth rookie in NBA history to record a triple-double with blocks and the first since Spurs great David Robinson did it three times in 1990. Mark Eaton and Ralph Sampson are the other two, each achieving the feat in 1983.
The triple-double was the first of its kind since Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela recorded 13 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 23, 2021.
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
