'He's Gotta Get Back in the Lab!' Spurs' Wembanyama Makes History With 21-Minute Triple-Double vs. Pistons

In only 21 minutes, San Antonio Spurs' rookie Victor Wembanyama lit up the Detroit Pistons.

The San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama are celebrating their blowout win against the Detroit Pistons. The Spurs won, 130-108, thanks to a well-balanced scoring attack that saw eight Spurs score double digits.

The Pistons shot only 46 percent from deep, which kept them out of the contest all night. Cade Cunningham did not play, but Jalen Duren rose to the challenge, scoring 21 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.

Jan 4, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Frost Bank Center / © Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

As always, Wembanyama was the star of the show, posting his first triple-double of his career with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. It was also only the second game of his career where he did not register a blocked shot.

His triple-double was recorded in only 21 minutes of play, which is one of the fastest in NBA history. “Today we happened to get it all together and make the right choices,” Wembanyama said postgame. “My teammates did the right cuts and made the right shots.”

“He’s a very good passer,” said coach Gregg Popovich about Wembanyama’s career high in assists. “He was a good passer before he got here.”

Tre Jones usually leads the Spurs in assists, but he only recorded five in the game. That being said, he looked very comfortable in the starting role, turning the ball over only twice and adding 11 points. “Recently, it’s starting to click a little more,” he said after the game.

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As always, Doug McDermott kept everyone in check. The veteran sharpshooter added 14 points on four-of-five shooting from deep, all of which came in the fourth quarter. He also hit the shot that sealed Wembanyama’s tenth assist but joked around about the rookie’s game. “I had as many blocks as [Wembanyama] tonight,” McDermott said. “He’s gotta get back in the lab and watch some film.”

After an excellent team effort where the Spurs were firing on all cylinders, they have a day off tomorrow before returning to the Frost Bank Center to take on the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. The Hornets have lost three straight games, so the Spurs should be able to keep their momentum and get a winning streak going for the first time since November 2nd.