Wembanyama’s 52-point game sparks Wilt Chamberlain comparisons

Victor Wembanyama drew Wilt Chamberlain comparisons after a 52-point, 24-rebound, 8-block performance against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

The San Antonio Spurs won the game 112-111 on their home court.

Wembanyama finished with 52 points, 24 rebounds, eight blocks, two assists and two steals.

He turned the ball over just once.

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

The game-winning free throw was his.

It was the first stat line of its kind in the NBA since Bob McAdoo in 1974.

Only Wilt Chamberlain had previously posted a 52-24-8 game.

Chamberlain did it in 1961.

“He basically Wilt,” said Spurs teammate Dylan Harper after the win.

Harper also played well, contributing 21 points and five rebounds on 9-of-15 shooting.

The win pushed the Spurs to a 6-2 record.

San Antonio started the season 0-2 before winning six straight games.

Wembanyama’s season scoring average now sits at 29 points per game.

That ranks fourth in the NBA entering play Thursday.

The matchup drew extra attention because of the other young star on the floor.

Cooper Flagg, the 19-year-old Mavericks rookie, faced Wembanyama for the first time.

Flagg entered the game with a phenomenal start to his season.

Many project Flagg to challenge Wembanyama one day as the league’s future face.

Wednesday night offered a reality check.

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 the game.

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

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

But he dominated in every other facet of the game.

The performance sent a clear message about the experience gap between the two players.

Wembanyama has a few years of NBA experience over Flagg.

Flagg is considered the future face of U.S. basketball.

Wembanyama is the reigning Rookie of the Year and already an All-Star.

The night also highlighted what the Mavericks are missing.

The Mavericks are not considered contenders this season.

Wembanyama’s monster game exposed weaknesses in Dallas’s frontcourt defense.

Without a rim protector of their own, the Mavericks had no answer for Wembanyama.

He scored at will in the paint and from the free-throw line.

His eight blocks altered countless other shots.

Wembanyama’s defensive technique has evolved this season.

He hangs on an opponent’s hip and waits for them to rise for their shot before jumping.

This ensures the shooter’s attempt is not altered by a simultaneous jump.

Wembanyama knows he can match any shooter at the point of release because of his length.

That technique led to a majority of his blocks on Wednesday.

The game was one of the most dominant individual performances in recent NBA history.

Nikola Jokic also had a historic night elsewhere.

Jokic recorded his 90th career triple-double in just three quarters.

That set an all-time record for fastest to 90 triple-doubles.

Luka Doncic poured in another 40-point game.

Doncic surpassed 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 stole the spotlight from Wembanyama.

In fantasy basketball, Wembanyama scored 110 points in Yahoo High Score.

That is tied for the most in that format ever.

Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game last season had held the record.

Wembanyama’s 110-point fantasy game will be hard to top this season.