Victor Wembanyama shines but San Antonio Spurs slide to seventh straight NBA defeat
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Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox drives to the basket between San Antonio Spurs forwards Victor Wembanyama and Sandro Mamukelashvili during the second half at Frost Bank Centre.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LOS ANGELES – Star rookie Victor Wembanyama put on a show but his San Antonio Spurs slumped to a seventh straight defeat on Nov 17, as the Sacramento Kings knocked them out of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) new in-season tournament with a 129-120 triumph.
De’Aaron Fox matched his career high with 43 points, adding eight rebounds and seven assists for the Kings, who weathered a series of San Antonio scoring spurts to seal the win.
After scoring just eight points in a 36-point loss to Oklahoma City on Nov 14, Wembanyama scored 27 points and pulled down nine rebounds.
The 2.24m French power forward impressed with an array of shots that included an alley-oop dunk on which his head threatened to hit the backboard.
“It’s an everyday fight,” the 19-year-old said of losing.
“I know the end of the season will not look like the beginning of the season. We’ve got a good way to go, progression.”
Zach Collins scored 28 for the Spurs, who roared to an 18-point lead in the first quarter but could not keep pace in a fourth quarter that saw Fox deliver 14 points as Wembanyama was held to six.
A game of multiple momentum shifts saw the Spurs close within 112-111 midway through the fourth, but the Kings responded with a 7-0 scoring run and held on.
Now 3-9, the Spurs fell to 0-3 in group play in the league’s new Cup-style tournament – out of the running for a quarter-final berth.
“He’s definitely somebody that you’ve got to think twice before you get to the paint because he’s so tall,” Kings guard Chris Duarte said of Wembanyama.
“But we took advantage just by being physical with him and make it tough for him.”
In other tournament games on Nov 17 – which also count in the regular-season standings – Zion Williamson scored 26 points and the New Orleans Pelicans withstood a Nikola Jokic triple-double in a 115-110 victory over NBA champions the Denver Nuggets.
Jokic scored 26 points, pulled down 16 rebounds and matched his career high with 18 assists.
In Toronto, Boston guard Derrick White drained a go-ahead three-pointer with 27.5 seconds left as the Celtics held off the hard-charging Raptors 108-105.
Jaylen Brown scored 23 points, Jayson Tatum added 17 and Kristaps Porzingis chipped in 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Celtics, who are 2-0 in tournament play and improved to 10-2 in the regular season standings.
Boston lead the Eastern Conference by one game from the Philadelphia 76ers, who beat the Atlanta Hawks 126-116.
In Atlanta, Sixers star Joel Embiid scored 32 points and had seven rebounds and eight assists.
Tobias Harris added a season-high 29 points and 10 rebounds and Tyrese Maxey finished with 19 points for Philadelphia, who ended a two-game losing streak.
In Charlotte, Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard scored 27 points to lead seven Bucks players in double figures in a 130-99 victory over the Hornets.
Malik Beasley added 20 points and Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a one-game injury absence to score 16 points, with eight rebounds and nine assists, in Milwaukee’s third-straight victory. AFP
