Victor Wembanyama scored 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 144-118 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, ending a four-game home losing streak.
Wembanyama stood firm against Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, matching him physically when Antetokounmpo tried to push him around in the fourth quarter.
The Spurs had a 14-point lead going into the final period, and they extended it to 22 with 7:08 left to play, making it easier for Wembanyama to hold his ground.
Keldon Johnson added 24 points for San Antonio, which won just their second game in the last seven. Stephon Castle scored 20 points, Harrison Barnes had 16, and Devin Vassell and Chris Paul each scored 12 points in the win.
Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 35 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Damian Lillard contributed 22 points, Khris Middleton scored 21, and Taurean Prince added 13 points for the Bucks.
The Spurs led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter, but the Bucks came back thanks to Middleton’s 10 points, including a three-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game 35-35 at the end of the first.
The second quarter was a back-and-forth battle, with the Bucks taking a five-point lead when Middleton hit a jumper with 1:30 left. Wembanyama answered with a three-pointer, and Castle made a free throw to pull the Spurs to within 71-70 at halftime.
Before the break, Antetokounmpo led all players with 21 points and nine rebounds, with Middleton and Lillard adding 14 points each. Johnson led the Spurs with 20 points off the bench, and Wembanyama had 12 points.
San Antonio took the lead early in the third quarter, and after Castle hit a three-pointer, the Spurs led 81-79 at the 9:27 mark. They expanded the lead to 100-89 after two free throws by Castle with 4:15 left and reached a game-high 17-point lead when Wembanyama hit a one-legged three-pointer with 1:23 remaining.
