Wembanyama's Career-High 52 Lifts Spurs Past Mavericks in 112-111 Thriller

Victor Wembanyama produced the finest night of his young career on Wednesday, scoring 52 points and grabbing 24 rebounds to carry the San Antonio Spurs to a 112-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.

The 22-year-old French centre set career highs in both points and rebounds, surpassing his previous best of 50 points from 2024, and added eight blocks, two assists and two steals in 34 minutes. He shot 16 of 28 from the field and 19 of 23 from the free-throw line, and San Antonio outscored Dallas by 23 points while he was on the floor.

Wembanyama's night was historic long before the final buzzer. By half-time he already had 29 points, 15 rebounds, five blocks and two steals, making all 15 of his free throws in the first half. He became the first player in the past 30 seasons to record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a single half, and only the second player since blocks began to be tracked in 1974 to finish a game with at least 50 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks.

San Antonio appeared to be cruising when it opened a 19-point lead early in the third quarter, having taken a 68-51 advantage into the break after winning the second quarter 36-25. Dallas, however, refused to fold. The Mavericks chipped away through the third quarter and the start of the fourth, pulling within two points with 8:17 remaining before P.J. Washington's three-pointer with 5:38 left gave them a 103-100 lead, their first of the second half.

The closing minutes turned into a duel between Wembanyama and the Dallas veterans. Wembanyama answered Washington's three-pointer with one of his own to tie the game at 103, and the lead changed hands repeatedly down the stretch. Naji Marshall, who scored 22 points off the bench for Dallas, tied the game at 111 with a three-pointer with 1:41 remaining.

With the score level, Wembanyama went to the line with 24.2 seconds left and split the pair, making the second free throw to put San Antonio ahead 112-111. Dallas called a timeout to set up a final shot, but Kyrie Irving's contested turnaround jumper in the lane with 2.5 seconds left missed, and time expired as the players scrambled for the rebound.

Wembanyama did not do it alone. Dylan Harper added 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting, Stephon Castle contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds, and De'Aaron Fox scored 10 points for San Antonio. The Spurs' balance mattered in the moments when Dallas sent extra defenders at Wembanyama, and the home side still found enough scoring elsewhere to stay in front at the end.

Irving led Dallas with 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists, making five three-pointers, but he shot 9 of 27 from the field. Marshall's 22 points came on 9-of-12 shooting, Washington finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Cooper Flagg contributed 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Mavericks.

"It was just relentless. We wanted it more tonight," Wembanyama told ESPN after the game. Harper paid tribute to his team-mate's daily standards, telling ESPN: "Just the mentality, the dedication, the discipline he has every day that he comes into the gym with is unmatched."

The result extended the Spurs' winning streak to six games and lifted them to 6-2, while Dallas slipped to 4-4 with a second consecutive defeat. For San Antonio, the night was about more than one victory in the NBA's Western Conference standings. Wembanyama's performance was the kind that reshapes how opponents prepare for the Spurs, and it arrived against an in-state rival that had fought back from 19 points down and still could not find a way past him.

Dallas will take encouragement from the comeback, and from a bench contribution that kept the game alive, but the Mavericks left Texas knowing they had witnessed a career night and still came within one free throw of stealing the win. San Antonio, meanwhile, will hope this is the start of a run built on its young star's dominance at both ends of the floor.

Photos in this article are file images of Victor Wembanyama and Kyrie Irving, not photographs from Wednesday's game.