French prodigy Victor Wembanyama had a full and spectacular match with the San Antonio Spurs on the floor of the Los Angeles Lakers, without managing to win (123-118), Friday in the NBA.
In the middle of the ceremony season, two weeks before the Oscars, the carpets are red and the stars shine in Los Angeles.
Always good when it comes to seizing the moment, Victor Wembanyama made no mistake in his costume and delighted the audience at the former Staples Center (now Crypto.com arena), hesitating between whistles and applause.
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Despite another defeat for Spurs, the 46th in a long season (only 11 wins), the French giant (2.24 m) shone with 27 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 interceptions and 5 blocks.
Fans of numbers will note that the 20-year-old Frenchman became the youngest player to win a
“quintuple five”
match , with more than 5 units in all five statistical areas.
“It doesn't matter what his statistics are as long as he plays well and intelligently
,” said his coach Gregg Popovich.
Above all,
“Wemby”
brought out the
“highlights”
machine , these spectacular actions which will flood social networks and delight his many fans, such as this decisive pass after feinting, an alley-oop, or even a counter on Anthony Davis (28 points, 13 rebounds), one of the best centers in the league.
30 points for LeBron James
Despite a match played the day before in Sacramento, Wembanyama struck from the start by scoring the Spurs' first eight points between rebounds, passes and interceptions.
The Frenchman had 11 points after three minutes of play, 20 points at halftime.
He continued to weigh in at the end of the match but could do nothing against the experience of the Lakers, victorious in the NBA Cup in December.
Wembanyama played his second game in Los Angeles on Friday, after a meeting against the Clippers in November.
The
“King”
LeBron James, to whom the Frenchman is sometimes compared, also displayed his offensive range with 30 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists, accelerating during hot moments, and remains the boss, at 39 years old.
At the top of the Western Conference, Oklahoma City's victory against Washington (147-106) combined with Minnesota's defeat against Milwaukee (112-107), allows OKC to return to the lead with the same record as the Wolves (39 wins – 17 losses).
In New Orleans, the Pelicans' defeat against Miami (106-95) was marred by a fight triggered by a foul by Kevin Love on Zion Williamson at the start of the 4th quarter.
Four players were expelled, including Heat star Jimmy Butler (23 pts, 9 rebounds), who was returning to competition after missing three matches for family reasons.
“No one wants to see this kind of thing
,” commented, apologetically, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra, who felt that the scuffle had started with a
“misunderstanding
. ”
The Warriors triumphed at home against the Charlotte Hornets (97-84).
Their iconic coach Steve Kerr, four times champion with Golden State, extended his contract by two years for $35 million according to ESPN, a record amount for an NBA coach.