SAN ANTONIO – Victor Wembanyama put up 41 points and 16 rebounds in a record-setting double-double as the Spurs trampled the visiting Chicago Bulls 129-114 on Monday night.
San Antonio’s superstar is making a push for MVP, and he logged the fastest double-double since the NBA-ABA merger in just 7 minutes and 37 seconds of playing time. Stephon Castle almost had another triple-double with 21 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds.
Asked after the game if he can see himself upping the aggression when the playoffs begin, Wembanyama answered affermatively.
“I can see it happening. I’ll do whatever it takes,” Wembanyama said.
This marks the Spurs’ ninth win in a row, making them 25-2 in the last two months as they chase after the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. They’re 57-18 for the season with just seven games to go.
Without Wembanyama’s hot start the Spurs may have been in trouble in this one, as the execution and shooting left a lot to be desired out of the gate. Mitch Johnson called a timeout just 72 seconds in, and spoke afterward about what he wanted to see.
“Sense of urgency, sharpness,” Johnson said. “I thought we got it at times, they respond to that time out, responded at halftime, but we didn’t sustain it as much tonight as I wish, and we are capable of.”
Things got more crisp as the game went on, and it certainly didn’t hurt that when in doubt they could just throw the ball up to the 7-foot-5 lob finisher from another planet. San Antonio built their lead up to 29 at one point, making it five games in a row with a lead of at least 28.