The San Antonio Spurs’ season has been full of highs and lows — and once again, Victor Wembanyama reminded everyone why he’s unlike any player the NBA has ever seen.
After opening the season with a franchise-best 5–0 start, the Spurs stumbled with two consecutive losses and a few quieter outings from their generational rookie. For three games, Wembanyama looked human — averaging a modest (by his standards) 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Then came Chicago. And the alien version of Wembanyama returned.
A Tough Challenge in the Windy City
The Spurs traveled to face the Chicago Bulls, who were unbeaten at home. Chicago, however, was missing its engine — Josh Giddey, sidelined by an ankle injury after his highlight-breaking move against Cleveland’s De’Andre Hunter.
Even without Giddey, the Bulls came out firing. After San Antonio took a 34–26 lead in the first quarter, Chicago stormed back with a barrage of three-pointers — hitting nearly 60% from deep over the next two quarters. By the start of the fourth, the Bulls were up by 13, and it looked like another Spurs letdown was coming.
“We started the game well, but they pushed the tempo and made tough shots,” said Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson. “We became hesitant on both ends.”
That’s when Wembanyama decided to change everything.
Wembanyama Takes Over
Down double digits, the French phenom went into takeover mode.
In a span of minutes, Wembanyama engineered a 10–0 solo run, cutting the deficit to just three. The Bulls went scoreless for nearly five minutes, but still clung to a narrow lead heading into the final stretch.
And then came the unexpected hero — Luke Kornet. The summer signing scored eight straight points, keeping the Spurs alive with perfect shooting in the fourth quarter (16 points total, +8 efficiency).
But in the last minute, the stage belonged entirely to Victor.
With the Spurs trailing 111–114, Wembanyama calmly pulled up for a three-pointer over Nikola Vučević’s outstretched hand — tie game. On the next possession, he blocked a shot attempt from former teammate Tre Jones. Seconds later, he took the ball again, stepped back, and drained another clutch three over Vučević to give San Antonio the lead for good.
“Those were great shots,” Vučević admitted afterward. “I thought I could force him inside, but he can beat anyone in the paint — and somehow he hit both threes right in my face. That’s tough.”
In less than a minute, Wembanyama flipped the game upside down.
A Night for the Record Books
The 7-foot-4 superstar finished the night with one of the most remarkable stat lines in NBA history:
- 38 points (11/19 FG)
- 12 rebounds
- 5 assists
- 5 blocks
- 6/9 from three
- 10/10 from the free-throw line
No player in NBA history had ever recorded 35+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists, 5+ blocks, and 5+ three-pointers in a single game — until Wembanyama did it.
He scored 19 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter, single-handedly outscoring the entire Bulls team (18) over that span.
It wasn’t just dominance — it was artistry. He protected the rim like Mutombo, finished inside like Giannis, and closed out the game like Curry.
This was Wembanyama’s 95th consecutive game with at least one block, a streak only surpassed by Dikembe Mutombo (116) and Patrick Ewing (145).
Spurs Back in Form
With the win, San Antonio improved to 8–2, marking their best start since the 2015/16 season — the final year of the Tim Duncan era. It also snapped a four-year drought of losses at Chicago’s United Center.
“Of course, you can’t win 82 games,” Wembanyama said postgame. “But what matters is accountability. We push each other and keep learning every night. That’s how we’ll grow.”
The message was simple: even when he looks human, Victor Wembanyama is anything but. And on nights like this, when he takes over from deep and from the paint, the future of basketball feels like it’s already arrived.
