French sensation Victor Wembanyama has tallied 20 points at halftime, helping the Spurs to a 75-55 lead over the title-contending Suns.
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker haven’t been able to match the 7’4” centre who has drained two three pointers from three attempts.
He also delivering a huge dunk on the stroke of halftime, cutting between defenders who could do nothing but look up as his imposing frame sailed over them.
“Look out, lift off and detonation for Victor Wembanyama,” the commentator said.
In the process, the Frenchmen joined an illsutrious group of San Antonio players to record a 20-point half in their rookie season.
Legendary big man Tim Duncan did it three times, while Tony Parker, Bryn Forbes and Julian Champagnie also achieved the feat.
EMBIID’S SIXERS GET THE JOB DONE
Joel Embiid scored 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead Philadelphia on Thursday to a 114-99 victory over the Toronto Raptors in the 76ers’ first NBA game since trading James Harden.
Kelly Oubre Jr. and Tobias Harris added 23 points apiece and Tyrese Maxey had 18 for the 76ers, who notched a third straight victory and improved to 3-1 in a young season that had so far been overshadowed by Harden’s trade demand.
Maxey insisted that Harden’s professionalism meant there were no distractions for a team adjusting to new coach Nick Nurse.
“Everybody was really focused on trying to get better,” Maxey said of pre-season preparations. “This is Coach Nurse’s first year, so we were trying to learn schemes, learn how he thinks… there wasn’t much of a distraction at all.” Nurse said before the game that from a competitive standpoint Harden’s trade to the Los Angeles Clippers “would have been better a month ago.” Of the new arrivals in the deal — Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin and Marcus Morris — only Covington and Martin entered the game — in the final minutes.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Embiid made just eight of 22 shots from the floor but connected on 12 of 13 from the free-throw line and handed out seven assists.
Oubre started in place of PJ Tucker — who was part of the Harden trade — and connected on five of six three-point attempts.
“He’s got a high compete level,” Nurse said of Oubre, who scored 10 points in the third quarter and drained a three-pointer in the fourth that helped halt a Raptors rally bid.
“He’s competing at both ends … when we kind of needed a little boost here and there he made some plays to kind of keep the momentum rolling our way or turning back our way.”
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