Inside The Spurs

Sandro Mamukelashvili Makes NBA History in Spurs-Knicks

The San Antonio Spurs topped the New York Knicks at home behind a historic performance from Sandro Mamukelashvili

Matt Guzman

Mar 19, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) waives to fans after scoring thirty four points against the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center.
Mar 19, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) waives to fans after scoring thirty four points against the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
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SAN ANTONIO — Sandro Mamukelashvili got up from the podium, grabbed the game ball he was awarded in the locker room from a San Antonio Spurs staffer, and made one decree.

"I'm going to sleep with this thing," he said.

The Spurs forward had just finished setting a few new milestones. For one, his 34-point outing against the New York Knicks marked a career-high. Secondly, he became the NBA's leading scorer with under 20 minutes played.

"It'd be ridiculous to say that was expected," Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said, "but it does feel like he's had some of these games where he's right on the cusp of having a really good game."

Mamukelashvili led both teams in scoring with 34, but also went 13-of-14 from the field and 7-for-7 from 3 to help the Spurs past the Knicks, 120-105 Wednesday evening. It likely wasn't the loss New York was expecting, but San Antonio wasn't picky.

The players' cheers from the locker room proved that.

"He comes to work every day. He's the most consistent person," Johnson said. "Especially when you talk about the role he has. That's why you can hear a little bit of the guys and the feeling that they have."

San Antonio still sits at the No. 13 seed in the Western Conference, but a win over the Knicks certainly helps any chance it has at a potential run at the postseason. And if Mamukelashvili could play a role in that effort, he'd gladly do so.

"Nothing is guaranteed," he said. "Nothing is promised. It's the everyday grind you've got to go through — the mental, physical — sometimes you're out of the rotation ... but I'm so happy I have a support team behind me."

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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