San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama recorded 25 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, and three blocks in Saturday’s 104-94 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
Wembanyama was returning from a three-game absence due to a right knee contusion and played 34 minutes.
The 20-year-old helped ensure the win with a triple that put the Spurs up six with three minutes left, followed by a block on Warriors guard Lindy Waters III on the next possession.
The Spurs held Golden State to 13 points in the fourth quarter while scoring 33.
Veteran Spurs forward Harrison Barnes scored 22 points, while rookie guard Stephon Castle added 19.
San Antonio limited Warriors star Stephen Curry to 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting, including a 3-of-10 mark from deep. Andrew Wiggins led Golden State in scoring with 20 points.
Wembanyama was hurt late in a Nov. 15 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers when the reigning Rookie of the Year banged knees with Anthony Davis. He exited briefly but returned to finish the game after receiving medical attention.
Entering Saturday, the 7-foot-4 Frenchman was averaging 22.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 3.7 blocks in his sophomore season while shooting 47.2% from the field and 33.9% from beyond the arc.
The Spurs won two out of three games without Wembanyama. Defeating the Warriors lifted them above .500 with a 9-8 record.
