Victor Wembanyama returned with a bang to the NBA on Wednesday night, scoring 40 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 125-92 thrashing of the Dallas Mavericks in their season opener.
The 21-year old French phenom who had to be sidelined since February due to surgery for deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder, looked like he had developed his game further and gotten stronger during his break. Wembanyama was very productive as he hit 15 of 21 shots, he also grabbed 15 rebounds, and blocked 3 shots in a total dominant two-way player performance that left fans and teammates shaking their heads in disbelief.
“Now, all my dreams are still possible,” Wembanyama told ESPN after the game. “Being back, that’s what matters to me.”
In addition to setting a new Spurs franchise record for the most points scored in a season opener by a single player with his 40 points, Wembanyama also was the reason why Dallas forward Anthony Davis who scored 22 points and 13 rebounds was overshadowed. R.O.Y. (Rookie of the Year) candidate Stephon Castle made a good contribution to the San Antonio offense by scoring 22 points while Dallas’ top draft pick Cooper Flagg had a slow start before finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
While playing in Boston, rookie VJ Edgecombe was the main talk of the town with a fantastic 34-point debut, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a last-minute 117-116 comeback win over the Celtics. Edgecombe was only two points away from having the most points in an NBA debut ever, as he surpassed the record of a different player Allen Iverson for the Sixers.
Tyrese Maxey was on fire as he scored 40 points as Philadelphia made a comeback to reverse a 13-point deficit in the last quarter.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks kicked of their season as they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-111. OG Anunoby was the main man with 24 points and 14 rebounds, with Jalen Brunson gave 23 points.
Donovan Mitchell’s 31 points were not enough to rescue the Cavs who, on top of that, had a tough time without stars Darius Garland and Max Strus who were injured.
The night was about monumental performances — the one of Wembanyama was a return of the highest order.
