SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama delivered a season-best performance with 41 points and 16 rebounds, securing the swiftest double-double in NBA history. This effort propelled the San Antonio Spurs to their ninth consecutive win, as they vanquished the Chicago Bulls 129-114 on Monday evening.
Wembanyama accumulated 10 points and 10 rebounds within his initial 8 minutes and 31 seconds on the floor, securing his tenth rebound just 1 minute and 55 seconds into the second quarter. Previously, Jim Washington, playing for the St. Louis Hawks, had recorded a double-double in nine minutes against the New York Knicks on March 6, 1966.
Wembanyama capped off his season-best display with a forceful, one-handed dunk, registering his ultimate points midway through the final quarter. He successfully converted 17 of 27 field goal attempts and connected on 3 of 6 from beyond the arc, marking his 14th instance this season of scoring 30 points or more.
Stephon Castle also contributed 21 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds for San Antonio, a team that has now secured nine consecutive victories.
Bulls point guard Tre Jones tallied 23 points in his inaugural game in San Antonio. This appearance came after his trade to Chicago as part of the transaction that brought De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs. Leonard Miller contributed 21 points and Collin Sexton notched 20, yet the Bulls suffered their fourth consecutive defeat.
San Antonio saw six of its players achieve double-digit scores, simultaneously further enlarging its advantage to 29 points during the third quarter.
The Bulls stepped onto the court two hours after releasing Jaden Ivey due to “conduct detrimental to the team.” Ivey, sidelined by injury, was not accompanying the squad during its four-game away journey.
This development did not affect Chicago initially, as an unchallenged, one-handed slam by Matas Buzelis provided the Bulls with a prompt 5-2 advantage. This play, barely a minute into the contest, prompted an irate timeout from Spurs coach Mitch Johnson. San Antonio then retaliated with a 20-13 surge, ignited by the commencement of Wembanyama’s swift initial double-double.