PHOENIX — The San Antonio Spurs led by as many as 27 points on Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns.
But with 4:21 remaining, they found themselves tied at 116. That’s when No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama took over and made sure the Spurs left the Footprint Center with a victory.
San Antonio responded with a 12-0 run, with Wembanyama scoring 10 of those points, as the Spurs defeated the Suns 132-121.
Wembanyama is 15-of-19 in the fourth quarter this season. His 78.9% is the best in the league among the 117 NBA players who have attempted 10 field goals in the fourth.
Before his first preseason game, Wembanyama was asked if he felt he was a clutch player. He said he was and the league hadn’t seen the best of him yet. When reminded of that on Thursday, he smiled.
“It’s a requirement,” he said, “if we’re being ambitious.”
San Antonio jumped to a 27-point lead in the first half, but in the reverse of Tuesday’s game when the Spurs came back from 21 down, the Suns came charging back. Unlike Tuesday, Phoenix couldn’t close it out.
Former Spur Keita Bates-Diop hit a corner 3-pointer with 4:21 to go, tying the score for the first time. After that, Wembanyama went into action.
In just his fifth career game, Wembanyama finished with 38 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks on 15-of-26 shooting.
“Every game is different,” Wembanyama said. “We got our third win. Every game we try to find the spots that we need to hurt them. Today, it might have been in this way. Tomorrow, it will be someone else. That is how great teams work. If we want to be great, we need to play with everyone.”
Wembanyama’s 38 points are tied for the third-most scored by a rookie in Spurs history. Only David Robinson had more than Wembanyama, with games of 41 and 39 points in 1990.
The Spurs played the final 6:04 without a timeout after coach Gregg Popovich used two in the fourth quarter to settle his team as Phoenix made its late push.
“For about three minutes there offensively, we lost our composure, which allowed them to run and do whatever,” Popovich said. “But we hung in there, got our solid play back the last three, four minutes. So, for a young team that needs to learn that in the fourth quarter, that was the best part of the game against a very good club.”
