Victor Wembanyama goes off for 25 points in first 8 minutes of Spurs' blowout win over Lakers
Wembanyama Erupts for Historic 25-Point Flurry to Bury Depleted Lakers Early
It took less than half a quarter for Victor Wembanyama to turn a Wednesday night showcase into a personal highlight reel, delivering one of the most explosive offensive starts in NBA history. In a terrifying display of size and skill, the San Antonio Spurs superstar poured in 25 points in the first eight minutes of action against the Los Angeles Lakers, effectively ending the contest before the first timeout in a 136-108 rout.
The 7-foot-4 phenom was unguardable from the opening tip, shooting 8-of-9 from the field and connecting on three triples during the opening stint. At one point, Wembanyama scored 17 consecutive points for San Antonio, showcasing a dizzying array of setback threes, spin-move dunks, and catch-and-shoot jumpers that left the Crypto.com Arena crowd in stunned silence. His 25-point opening frame set a new franchise record for the most points in a quarter by a Spur in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97), eclipsing marks previously held by franchise icons like Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.
While the Lakers were severely shorthanded—missing both LeBron James and Luka Dončić due to injury—the sheer efficiency of Wembanyama’s barrage rendered the opposition irrelevant. "I think the two areas where he is pretty hard to give resistance are when he has space or momentum," Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson told reporters postgame. "Tonight, he did really well in both those cases."
Wembanyama’s start drew immediate comparisons to Klay Thompson’s 37-point quarter and Kevin Love’s 34-point first quarter, though Wembanyama achieved his total in significantly less time. He finished the first half with 37 points, flirting with Wilt Chamberlain’s records, before sitting out the entire fourth quarter. Wembanyama ended the night with 40 points in just 26 minutes, tying his season high.
"What got me going was proving a point," Wembanyama said. "History has showed that I need to be worried about us against teams like this." For the rest of the league, the worry is no longer about history, but the terrifying future Wembanyama is writing in real-time.
It took less than half a quarter for Victor Wembanyama to turn a Wednesday night showcase into a personal highlight reel, delivering one of the most explosive offensive starts in NBA history. In a terrifying display of size and skill, the San Antonio Spurs superstar poured in 25 points in the first eight minutes of action against the Los Angeles Lakers, effectively ending the contest before the first timeout in a 136-108 rout.
The 7-foot-4 phenom was unguardable from the opening tip, shooting 8-of-9 from the field and connecting on three triples during the opening stint. At one point, Wembanyama scored 17 consecutive points for San Antonio, showcasing a dizzying array of setback threes, spin-move dunks, and catch-and-shoot jumpers that left the Crypto.com Arena crowd in stunned silence. His 25-point opening frame set a new franchise record for the most points in a quarter by a Spur in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97), eclipsing marks previously held by franchise icons like Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.
While the Lakers were severely shorthanded—missing both LeBron James and Luka Dončić due to injury—the sheer efficiency of Wembanyama’s barrage rendered the opposition irrelevant. "I think the two areas where he is pretty hard to give resistance are when he has space or momentum," Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson told reporters postgame. "Tonight, he did really well in both those cases."
Wembanyama’s start drew immediate comparisons to Klay Thompson’s 37-point quarter and Kevin Love’s 34-point first quarter, though Wembanyama achieved his total in significantly less time. He finished the first half with 37 points, flirting with Wilt Chamberlain’s records, before sitting out the entire fourth quarter. Wembanyama ended the night with 40 points in just 26 minutes, tying his season high.
"What got me going was proving a point," Wembanyama said. "History has showed that I need to be worried about us against teams like this." For the rest of the league, the worry is no longer about history, but the terrifying future Wembanyama is writing in real-time.
