The Philadelphia 76ers walked away with a 133-126 win over the San Antonio Spurs in double overtime thanks to the heroics of Tyrese Maxey. Philadelphia’s All-Star scored a career-high 52 points while playing nearly 54 minutes.
For the Spurs, rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama continues to impress. He had 33 points, 18 rebounds, six assists and seven blocks while shooting 11-for-20 from the floor and 5-for-10 from deep. A big blemish was nine turnovers, but Wembanyama was terrific.
“I’ve known that kid for a long time,” Nic Batum told reporters after the win. “Nobody’s shocked. The only thing is, I didn’t think he would do all that in Year 1. He’s a special man. There was a quote from (Gregg Popovich) that said something like this is his worst season. That is the scary part. This may be the worst Wemby we’re going to see for the next 15 or so years. So, I’m glad I won that one tonight. I don’t know how easy it will be to win again in the future.”
Wembanyama has a special blend of skill and size and he is looking to help San Antonio eventually turn things around and head back toward contention. He certainly has the size and skills and will look to continue to grow and improve.
He already has an understanding of how to succeed at the NBA level.
“Up there (pointing to his head), he knows,” Batum added. “He knows who he is, he knows what he can become, and he knows how to do it. He’s in the perfect spot for that. The entities, his entourage around him, he’s got everything around him set up to be great. Everything is set up for him to be who we think he can become, and now it’s just up to him.”
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