Wembanyama just pulled a Wilt Chamberlain nobody saw coming

Victor Wembanyama did something only Wilt Chamberlain has done before.

The San Antonio Spurs center put up 52 points, 24 rebounds, and 8 blocks in a single game Wednesday night.

That stat line — 50-plus points, 20-plus rebounds, 8-plus blocks — had not been recorded in the NBA since Wilt Chamberlain did it in 1961.

It was also the first such line since Bob McAdoo in 1974.

Wembanyama led the Spurs to a 112-111 home win over the Dallas Mavericks.

He shot 16-of-28 from the field and 19-of-23 from the free-throw line.

He also added two assists and two steals while committing just one turnover.

The game-winning point came from his free throw that put the Spurs up by one with seconds left.

The performance vaulted Wembanyama's season scoring average to 29 points per game.

That ranks fourth in the NBA entering Thursday's games.

San Antonio has now won six straight games after losing its first two contests of the season.

The Spurs improved to 6-2 on the year.

Dylan Harper, Wembanyama's teammate, did not hold back after the game.

"He basically Wilt," Harper told reporters.

The comparison to Chamberlain, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, is the highest praise a big man can receive in NBA circles.

Harper himself had a strong night, finishing with 21 points and five rebounds on 9-of-15 shooting.

But the night belonged to Wembanyama.

His 52 points tied for the most in a single game this season.

In Yahoo High Score fantasy basketball, he scored 110 points.

That ties the most ever in that format, matching Bam Adebayo's 83-point game against the Wizards last season.

The difference: Adebayo's game was 83 points in that format. Wembanyama hit 110.

The 110-point mark in High Score is the highest recorded this season.

In points leagues, Wembanyama scored 112.8.

The broadcast team of Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley, both Hall of Fame big men, were visibly stunned.

"Just ridiculous," O'Neal said on the air.

Barkley called the performance "sick."

Both men have seen decades of NBA basketball.

Neither had seen a stat line like this in real time.

The matchup also featured Cooper Flagg, the 19-year-old rookie widely projected to be the future face of the league.

Flagg finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and one turnover.

But he shot 7-of-19 from the field and 0-of-3 from three-point range.

He started the game 1-of-11 from the floor.

Wembanyama blocked Flagg twice during critical moments.

He also scored an and-one basket directly over Flagg.

The contrast was sharp: Flagg is considered the next great American prospect, while Wembanyama, the French center, is the reigning Rookie of the Year and an All-Star.

Wembanyama himself struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 1-of-8 from three-point range.

But inside the paint, he was unstoppable.

His 24 rebounds led both teams.

His 8 blocks were a game-high.

Analysts noted a specific technique in Wembanyama's shot-blocking that has developed this season.

He hangs on an opponent's hip and waits for the shooter to rise before jumping.

This ensures the shooter's attempt is not altered by Wembanyama's presence early, and then he uses his length to match them at the point of release.

It is a method that relies on his 7-foot-4 frame and 8-foot wingspan.

It is also a technique that few players in NBA history have been able to execute.

Most shot-blockers rely on timing and vertical leap.

Wembanyama adds patience and positioning.

The result: he gets blocks without fouling, and he alters shots even when he does not block them.

Wednesday night, he altered far more than the eight shots he blocked.

The Mavericks shot 41.2 percent from the field as a team.

Dallas was without several key players.

The Mavericks are not considered title contenders this season.

But the game drew national attention because of the Wembanyama-Flagg matchup.

Nikola Jokic also had a historic night Wednesday, recording his 90th career triple-double in just three quarters.

Luka Doncic scored 40 points, surpassing Michael Jordan for the best scoring start to a season.

Klay Thompson scored 30 points with eight three-pointers and hit a game-winner.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored over 40 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

None of those performances overshadowed Wembanyama's.

The 52-point game was the second 50-point game of Wembanyama's career.

His first came last season against the Washington Wizards, when he scored 50 points.