Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
San Antonio Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama has been on a tear lately, and he rose to the occasion on the grandest stage of them all.
Wembanyama put on a show at Madison Square Garden in his first career game on the NBA’s Christmas Day schedule, dropping 42 points on 16-of-31 shooting, 18 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and a steal as the Spurs lost to the New York Knicks in a thriller, 117-114.
Thanks to his gaudy stat line, Wembanyama etched his name into the record books. He tied the MSG record for three-pointers made on Christmas Day, shooting 6-of-16 from beyond the arc. His 42 points are the third most for a player in his Christmas Day debut behind only Tracy McGrady and Wilt Chamberlain. He is the third player ever to have 40+ points and 15+ rebounds, joining Chamberlain and Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.
Unfortunately, Wembanyama’s outstanding outing wasn’t enough to take down the Knicks, who extended their winning streak to five straight games behind Mikal Bridges’ 41-point performance. Bridges, who shot 17-of-25 from the field, also knocked down six three-pointers in the victory.
However, it was Wembanyama who was the talk of social media, as fans couldn’t help but marvel at his dominance at MSG in his Christmas Day debut:
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
MIKAL AND WEMBY GO OFF IN CHRISTMAS DAY BATTLE 😱🎄
Bridges: 41 PTS, 4 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK
Wemby: 42 PTS, 18 REB, 4 AST, 4 BLK
Knicks pull out the close W 🗽 pic.twitter.com/hACv4tYWae
NBA @NBA
Wemby’s catch radius is ridiculous. 👀
35 PTS, 16 REB, 4 BLK, 5 3PM with 10 minutes left to play… pic.twitter.com/9NV4lUh386
devkon @devkonn
Wemby being a 7’5″ demigod is crazy but it’s crazier that he’s seven years away from his prime pic.twitter.com/19PC6DdTFu
Wembanyama has now reached the 40-point mark twice in his last four games and recorded at least four blocks and four three-pointers in three consecutive outings. The 20-year-old is widely regarded as the future face of the NBA, and he’s already starting to take over as one of the best players in the league.
Wembanyama and the Spurs will try to bounce back from their Christmas Day loss when they visit the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
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