‘So much greatness’ — Brunson’s 61 can’t conquer Wemby (40-20), Spurs،
SAN ANTONIO – Delighted with his first career three-game winning streak in a dramatic overtime, Victor Wembanyama tossed the basketball into the stands moments after the San Antonio Spurs outlasted the New York Knicks, 130 -126, Friday evening.
A ball boy working the Knicks bench sprinted to retrieve it from the fan who had grabbed it, because it was an instant and precious souvenir of an instant classic game.
Wembanyama had a career-high 40 points with 20 rebounds in a duel with Knicks guard Jalen Brunson who had 61 points, the second-highest scoring game in Knicks history behind Carmelo Anthony's 62 in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats in 2014.
“I've never seen so much greatness before this season…I've just witnessed so much greatness and I want to be a part of it,” Wembanyama said of Brunson, the seventh player to score 60 goals in one game this season.
“I always wanted to, but I see more and more that I am already capable of competing with these guys. I'm not close (to them) but I'm on the right path. I know it and I I'm going to get there one day soon.”
According to research from ESPN Stats & Information, this is only the second time in NBA history that a player has had a 40-point, 20-rebound game and another has had a 60-point game. The other instance occurred in 1961, when Elgin Baylor scored 63 points and Wilt Chamberlain had 78 points and 43 rebounds.
Brunson scored 38 points in the second half, tied with Patrick Ewing in 1995 for the most points in a half in Knicks history, as he led the Knicks to a 21-point comeback. He made 25 of 47 shots, the most shots in an NBA game since Kobe Bryant's famous farewell game in 2016. Brunson's previous career high was 50 points on December 15 against the Phoenix Suns .
The Knicks, taking advantage of key Spurs defender Jeremy Sochan leaving with an ankle injury, cleared the court several times and let Brunson work in pure isolation. Other times, he attacked Wembanyama in pick-and-roll, hitting jumper after mid-range jumper.
At one point in the third quarter, he found himself one-on-one with Wembanyama leading the game. He went left, dug his foot into the ground to stop himself from being thrown backwards as Wembanyama lost his position. After splashing the sweater, he raised his fist, savoring the moment.
“He’s going to be one of the greatest players this game has ever seen,” Brunson said. “Just the way he's built and what he's been able to do so far. So I have a lot of respect for him and it's really hard to get the better of him.”
Brunson wasn't in the mood to think too much about his performance, frustrated that the Knicks lost to the team with the worst record in the Western Conference. He was just 1 of 5 shooting in overtime and the Spurs doubled him at the end of regulation, forcing a pass to Miles McBride, who missed an open look at the buzzer.
Wembanyama scored five points with two rebounds and a steal in overtime. He also had 13 points and six rebounds in the fourth quarter as he helped the Spurs fend off Brunson's charge.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of the Brunson-Wembanyama stats. “It just shows what (Wembanyama) will be like when he understands all the physicality that happens to him all the time and what to do about it. Luckily, he's also a heck of an instinctive passer and he's willing to do what he needs to do .to do in this regard. So it is quite special.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau appealed to the referees throughout the game, frustrated Brunson got only six free throw attempts despite a high volume of basketball practice. The Spurs had a 32-12 advantage on free throws, Wembanyama had 12 himself and made 10, including two that tied the game late in the fourth quarter.
“A foul is a foul,” Thibodeau said. “I don't know what else you could do, what else to say. It's clear as day. It really is that simple.”
When asked if he would spend time considering that he is now one of three Knicks to score more than 60 points in a game – besides Anthony, Bernard King scored 60 points on the day Christmas against the New Jersey Nets in 1984. — Brunson was glum:
“When I retire.”
