WASHINGTON -- Victor Wembanyama showcased his skills with 31 points and 15 rebounds, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 131-121 victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday night. Having previously scored a career-high 50 points against Washington in November, Wembanyama started strong, nailing his first four 3-point attempts within the first eight minutes. Although he couldn’t maintain that pace, he remained dominant against a Wizards team missing rookie 7-footer Alex Sarr due to a sprained ankle. DeAaron Fox added 30 points, while Chris Paul contributed 10 assists. Rookie Stephon Castle chipped in with 16 points, and Tristan Vukcevic led the Wizards with 18. The Spurs made a stunning 22-0 run in the first quarter, establishing a 28-10 lead, but the Wizards bounced back to cut the deficit to just three points by halftime. This win is crucial for San Antonio's playoff aspirations, especially against a Wizards squad struggling with the league's worst record. Despite having nine players in double figures, Washington struggled from beyond the arc, hitting only 14 of 47 attempts, with Jordan Poole going 2 for 13. In a pivotal moment, Wembanyama made a slick backdoor pass to Fox, leading to a layup that extended the Spurs' advantage to 122-115 with 3:13 remaining—after that, the Wizards couldn’t close the gap. Key stat: Fox was impressive from the foul line, converting 15 of his 18 free throws. Up next, the Spurs will take on the Celtics in Boston on Wednesday night, while the Wizards will host the Pacers on the same evening.
