Wembanyama's 52-point masterclass still draws doubters despite Spurs win

Victor Wembanyama scored a career-high 52 points and grabbed a career-best 24 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs edged the Dallas Mavericks 112-111, extending their winning run to six games.

The Frenchman settled the contest himself, sinking the decisive free throw with 24.2 seconds remaining after Dallas's Naji Marshall had levelled the scores at 111 with a three-pointer moments earlier. Kyrie Irving then missed a contested turnaround jumper with 2.5 seconds left to end Dallas's hopes of a reply, according to Guardian Sport.

San Antonio built a 19-point cushion in the early stages of the third quarter, only for Dallas to claw back to within two points with 8:17 remaining and then edge ahead 103-100 on a PJ Washington three-pointer with 5:38 left.

In the opening two quarters, Wembanyama converted every one of his 15 free-throw attempts, and he finished with eight blocks, three of them arriving within a 13-second span in the second quarter. According to Guardian Sport, no other player had posted 25 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots within a single half across the past three decades of the league.

Spurs guard Dylan Harper, who scored 21 points in the win, said Wembanyama's defensive instincts set him apart. "If I got blocked three times in a row, I feel like I'd be pretty upset," Harper said. "But that's Vic. He takes pride on the defensive side and things like that are just natural to him."

Harper went further in his praise afterwards, comparing his teammate to one of basketball's historic greats. "He's basically Wilt," Harper said, adding that opposing teams "throw out any adjustment, every adjustment" and still cannot keep Wembanyama out of the paint.

Stephon Castle contributed 17 points and De'Aaron Fox added 10 for San Antonio. Irving led all scorers for Dallas with 29 points, while Cooper Flagg posted 19 points and 10 rebounds in a losing effort that left the Mavericks with back-to-back defeats.

Wembanyama, who said he had been unwell in the build-up to the game, suggested the display was a sign of what he can produce when fully fit. "It's just figuring things out," he said. "Sometimes, you're one step ahead. Also, I haven't been feeling great lately. I'm sick. I felt like I got my legs back. So, it should be more like this more often."

Despite the numbers, the performance drew criticism from former NBA champion Nick Young, who questioned Wembanyama's hunger for physical, inside basketball during an appearance on Gil's Arena, as reported by Yahoo Sports. "I'm not impressed. Too much 'wee-wee' in him. He got too much French in him," Young said.

Young argued that Wembanyama's preference lies away from the paint, saying, "I want to play outside and shoot threes. You know? So, 52. If he could play like that, I would enjoy it, but he don't want to play like that. It's not in his DNA."

Young's assessment centred on whether Wembanyama would keep attacking the rim once his outside shot returns to form, questioning whether a player of his physical stature should be doing more to impose himself inside.

The remarks followed Wembanyama's own admission that the night's workload had taken a toll. "I can still do more; I mean, my shots weren't falling tonight, and that forces me into a style of play that is exhausting; I can do it; I mean the proof is here," he said after the game.

Yahoo Sports noted that Young's take contrasted sharply with that of Shaquille O'Neal, who had previously challenged Wembanyama's physicality and likened parts of his game to Bol Bol but said he was left impressed by the response produced against Dallas.

San Antonio will look to stretch their winning streak further as the season progresses, with Wembanyama's workload and scoring touch likely to remain under close scrutiny whichever way his form trends.