Victor Wembanyama posted 26 points, 15 rebounds, five blocks and four assists as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the host Miami Heat 136-111 on Monday night.
It was the sixth straight win for the Spurs (54-18), who are 22-2 since Feb. 1 — the best record in the NBA during that span.
With Wembanyama playing, the Spurs have won 11 straight games. On Monday, he got the most support from Dylan Harper and Keldon Johnson (21 points each off the bench); and Stephon Castle (19 points).
Castle (hip) and Devin Vassell (hamstring) returned from injuries for the Spurs, with the latter scoring six points.
Miami (38-34) lost its fifth straight game, tying its longest skid of the season. The Heat’s next game will be another tough one — at Cleveland on Wednesday.
Norman Powell led Miami on Monday with 21 points while Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro had 18 points each. The Heat are now just 1-5 since Adebayo scored 83 points on March 10 against Washington for the second-highest-scoring game in NBA history.
Powell, Andrew Wiggins (nine points) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (eight points) all returned from injuries for the Heat, but they weren’t enough.
San Antonio, led by De’Aaron Fox’s 10 points, led 38-31 at the end of a first quarter during which the Spurs shot 6 of 13 from deep. San Antonio also had a 10-0 advantage on second-chance points in the period. Miami stayed in the game by shooting 50% from the floor and gaining a 9-2 edge on fast-break points.
The Spurs stretched their lead to 76-58 at halftime. Wembanyama led all second-quarter scorers with 11 points, and the Spurs shot 59.1% overall and 4-of-9 on 3-pointers.
For the half, San Antonio shot 52.0% from the floor and 45.5% on 3-pointers (10-for-22). Miami shot 47.7% overall and 38.1% from deep.
The Spurs reached the century mark on a Harper 3-pointer with 2:19 left in the third, and San Antonio ended the quarter leading 108-81. Miami shot just 26.9% in the quarter, including 3-for-16 on 3-pointers.
San Antonio was never threatened in the fourth quarter, finishing the game with a 60-40 edge in paint points. The Spurs also had a 17-6 advantage on offensive rebounds.
–Field Level Media
