Victor Wembanyama drops 50-20, says he can still do more

Victor Wembanyama put up a stat line Wednesday night that belongs in a museum.

The San Antonio Spurs center scored 52 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in a 112-111 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Both numbers are career highs.

He also added eight blocked shots.

That makes him just the ninth player in NBA history with a 50-20 game.

The last one was Luka Doncic in 2022.

Only three players in league history have done it with at least five blocks: Wilt Chamberlain, Bob McAdoo, and now Wembanyama.

He is the first player to reach 50 points and 20 rebounds in a one-point win since Chamberlain in 1964.

Wembanyama had 29 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in the first half alone.

That made him the first player since the NBA's play-by-play era began in 1996-97 with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a half.

The 7-foot-4 center from France shot 16 of 28 from the field.

Seven of those makes were dunks.

He went 19 of 23 from the free-throw line.

His only weakness Wednesday night was the three-point line, where he went 1 for 8.

Despite that, he still scored 52.

After the game, Wembanyama said he believes he can do even more.

"I mean, my shots weren't falling tonight and that forces me into a style of play that is exhausting," he said.

"I can do it. I mean the proof is here. I can do it, but I can be much better if my shots fall. I know it's just a matter of time."

The win extended San Antonio's winning streak to six games.

The Spurs have not lost since dropping the season's first two games to Oklahoma City and Houston.

Wembanyama has averaged 32.5 points during the streak.

He has done that while dealing with an illness.

"I haven't been feeling great lately," Wembanyama said.

"I've been sick for a while, and today I felt like I got my legs back. So it should be more like this, more often."

His two putbacks in the final 2:39 helped seal the win.

He missed his first three free throws in the final 2:10 but made one with 24 seconds left for the final margin.

Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 29 points.

He missed a potential game-winning jumper in the final seconds.

Naji Marshall added 22 points off the bench for Dallas.

The Mavericks had mounted a second-half comeback after trailing by 19.

Wembanyama's season averages now stand at 29.0 points, 12.4 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game.

All three are career highs.

The performance drew immediate reactions from NBA legends.

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley were on national TV and struggled to find words.

Yahoo Sports reported that the two Hall of Famers were "lost for words" by what they called a "sick" performance.

Dylan Harper of Basketball Network compared Wembanyama to Wilt Chamberlain directly.

"He basically Wilt," Harper said.

Wembanyama is averaging 32.5 points during the six-game winning streak.

The Spurs have emerged as a serious force in the Western Conference after a slow start.

They lost their first two games of the season to Oklahoma City and Houston.

Since then, they have not lost.

The 22-year-old French phenom continues to redefine what is possible for a player his size.

He wears size 20 shoes and stands 7-foot-4.