Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – French NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama came off the bench to score 26 points in just 21 minutes Friday, as the San Antonio Spurs crushed the Atlanta Hawks 126-98. His time still being managed since returning from injury, Wembanyama also managed 12 rebounds, three assists, two blocks — and a spectacular one-handed alley-oop dunk.
The Spurs’ win follows the disappointment of defeat Tuesday in the NBA Cup final in Las Vegas by the New York Knicks. Victory takes the Spurs to third in the Western Conference, on 20-7. It was Wembanyama’s 100th game in a row making at least one block, a streak achieved only twice before in NBA history — Dikembe Mutombo (116) and Patrick Ewing (145). The 7ft 4in (2.24m) prodigy, 21, had missed a dozen Spurs games after suffering a left calf strain last month.
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Also on Friday, the Knicks’ seven-game winning streak came to an end with a 116-107 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. Tyrese Maxey led the scoring, with 30 points, nine rebounds and two assists. The Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 129-116, with Jaylen Brown reaching 30 points for a sixth consecutive game.
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