Wembanyama Dominates in Fourth Quarter, Extends Shotblocking Streak to Lift Spurs Past Bulls

Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet of the San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio Spurs Facebook page.

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Chicago Bulls on the road, 121-117, behind another stellar game from Victor Wembanyama.

The Frenchman scored 18 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter, including back-to-back three-pointers to seal the victory for the Spurs, their third straight, after opening the season with five consecutive wins.

It was another all-around performance for Wemby, who once again imposed his will on the defensive end of the floor.

95 Straight Games with at Least One Block

The first overall pick of the 2023 rookie draft also blocked five shots against Chicago, registering the 95th game of his career with at least one rejection.

The 7-foot-4 center didn't take long to record his first block, denying Bulls forward Matas Buzelis a layup in the opening period. With that rejection, he surpassed NBA legend Mark Eaton for the third-longest streak in league history.

Wembanyama leads the league in blocks this season, averaging 3.8 per game. With his versatility, the 21-year-old is already on track to become one of the best two-way players in NBA history.

Wemby's Clutch Gene

Wembanyama scored 18 of his 38 points in the fourth to help the Spurs come back from an early nine-point deficit and win the game with a 30-13 scoring blitz.

He made six three-point shots, two of them coming in crunch time. The Spurs ran isolation plays on back-to-back possessions where he nailed his final two threes over Nikola Vucevic.

When asked about those last two shots, Wembanyama admitted he wasn't even sure the second one would fall, the one that ultimately sealed the win.

'The first one, definitely. Second one, not really. But I quickly decided to because I felt like I could get separation from Vucevic,' he said. 'It felt like it would make the situation complicated if I went through a crowd.'
'I guess I chose right,' he added.

He finished with 12 rebounds, five assists, and five blocks while also going a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line.

Meanwhile, De'Aaron Fox scored 21 points in his second game of the season, while his backcourt partner Stephon Castle had a double-double of 19 points and 11 assists.

The Spurs Are Rolling

Starting the season with an unblemished record in their first five games, the Spurs have been playing excellent basketball so far.

They improved to 8-2 to take sole possession of second place in a stacked Western Conference. They've already bettered their record through 10 games from last season, when they started 4-6.

The two teams that have beaten them, the Suns and Lakers, are both from the Western Conference. The Spurs have faced four teams from the East and five from the West, including two wins over the New Orleans Pelicans.

While they lost prized rookie Dylan Harper to a left calf strain in their defeat to the Suns, they now have the services of star guard De'Aaron Fox and big man Luke Kornet, who returned after missing the first nine games with a sprain.

It may still be early, but right now, the Spurs are looking like a legitimate threat.