De’Aaron Fox made an immediate impact in his San Antonio Spurs debut, scoring 24 points and dishing out 13 assists to lead his new team to a 126-125 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
Victor Wembanyama sealed the win at the free-throw line, breaking a tie with 2.4 seconds left before intentionally missing his second attempt to deny Atlanta an inbound play. Trae Young’s last-second three-pointer missed, allowing the Spurs (22-26) to escape with the win over the Hawks (23-28).
Fox, acquired from Sacramento in a three-team trade on Sunday, showcased his playmaking by matching his season high in assists. Wembanyama also recorded 24 points and 12 rebounds, proving to be a dominant presence in the paint. Devin Vassell added 20 points for the Spurs.
Young led Atlanta with 32 points and 12 assists, while Onyeka Okongwu had a career-high 30 points. Despite trailing by as many as 20 points in the second half, the Hawks mounted a furious comeback, nearly stealing the win in the final moments.
San Antonio built a commanding 72-54 halftime lead, their highest-scoring first half of the season. The Hawks responded with a dominant third quarter, outscoring the Spurs 43-31 behind Young and Okongwu.
De’Andre Hunter’s three-pointer cut the deficit to 123-121 with less than two minutes left. Young then tied the game twice, including a mid-range jumper that made it 125-125 before Wembanyama’s clutch free throw secured the victory.
Fox played 37 minutes in his first game with San Antonio, seamlessly integrating into the offense alongside Chris Paul, who had 11 points and nine assists. Jeremy Sochan provided 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting off the bench.
Hunter contributed 22 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta, while rookie Zaccharie Risacher managed six points in 23 minutes. Dyson Daniels chipped in 19 points and eight rebounds for the Hawks.
San Antonio shot 50.5% from the field but struggled from three, hitting just 32.4% of their attempts. Atlanta had a better night from deep, making 16-of-42 (38.1%), but their 20 turnovers proved costly.
