Victor Wembanyama delivered a historic first half and later detailed the mentality behind it after the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 136-108 on Tuesday night at crypto.com Arena. The French center finished with 40 points and 12 rebounds in just 26 minutes as the Western Conference’s second-place team extended its winning streak to five games.
“Loved it,” Wembanyama said about the group’s focus and execution. “I think playing against critical bad teams or teams missing players has been our problem. Consistency.”
San Antonio entered the matchup at 37-16, while Los Angeles, sitting fifth in the West at 32-21, was without Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves. The All-Star big man emphasized that approach mattered regardless of opponent circumstances.
“I mean tonight, in my opinion, we have to make a statement and show our progress,” he said. “We don’t just talk about what we need to do. We need to actually act.”
The 7-foot-4 star erupted early, scoring 17 points in the first 4:15 and finishing the half with 37, the highest-scoring half in the league this season. He explained that the surge came from an internal challenge rather than matchup dynamics.
“It feels right,” Wembanyama said. “What got me going is honestly proving myself a point, proving my team a point.”
The Spurs center noted that maintaining intensity against teams below .500 has been a focus for the group this season. “History has showed that I need to be worried about us against teams like this,” he added.
San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson also received praise after guiding the club toward another potential All-Star coaching appearance. “I think he’s always been really on point with what he tells us,” Wembanyama said. “He doesn’t talk for nothing… that forces respect.”
Despite finishing with a 40-point, 12-rebound line, the Frenchman spent much of the second half on the bench as the lead grew. He admitted wanting to return but acknowledged the long-term view.
“I was also pushing to go back, but they did the right choice by keeping me on the bench,” he said. “It’s a team game at the end of the day. What the real stat that matters is the W or the L.”
The young star also addressed his offseason mindfulness work in China, saying the experience helped him grow during a demanding year. “It’s helped me a lot… I had to grow a lot and reflect on myself,” he said.
San Antonio received additional scoring from Carter Bryant, who posted a career-high 16 points, and Dylan Harper, who added 15. Luke Kennard and Drew Timme led the Lakers with 14 points each, while Bronny James recorded 12 points and six assists.
The Spurs now head to Golden State looking to maintain momentum, and Wembanyama made his mentality clear moving forward. “Every game, you have to have this greed… to want more every time,” he said. “Because there’s somebody who’s going to want to stop you from doing what you’re doing out there.”
