Sandro Mamukelashvili delivered a historic performance, scoring a career-high 34 points in just 19 minutes to lead the San Antonio Spurs past the New York Knicks 120-105 on Wednesday night.
Mamukelashvili became the first player in NBA history to score 34 points while playing fewer than 20 minutes, shooting 13-for-14 from the field and hitting all seven of his three-point attempts.
San Antonio (29-39) dominated early, building a 28-point lead behind Mamukelashvili’s 13 first-half points, seven rebounds, and one assist.
The Knicks (43-25) cut the deficit with a strong third quarter, outscoring the Spurs 29-16, but Mamukelashvili sealed the win with 21 points in the final period.
Stephon Castle added 22 points, while Chris Paul contributed 12 points and nine assists for San Antonio, which has won three of its last eight games.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 32 points and nine rebounds, while OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges each scored 14 points.
New York continues to struggle without Jalen Brunson, who remains sidelined with a sprained right ankle. The Knicks are now 3-3 since his injury.
San Antonio’s victory was one of its most impressive since losing Victor Wembanyama (blood clot) and De’Aaron Fox (finger surgery) to season-ending injuries.
The Spurs dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Knicks 38-23, including a 30-7 run capped by a Devin Vassell three-pointer that put them up 61-35.
Mitchell Robinson provided a spark for the Knicks off the bench, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds in just 17 minutes.
Jeremy Sochan returned to the Spurs’ starting lineup, contributing 10 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Despite missing their two tallest players, the Spurs dominated the glass, outrebounding the Knicks 61-48.
