Wembanyama Scores 40 With Eight Blocks as Spurs Rout Suns 122-96 for Ninth Straight Win

Victor Wembanyama scored 40 points and blocked eight shots in just over 25 minutes as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Phoenix Suns 122-96 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Monday night. San Antonio won all four quarters, led by as many as 34 points, and pushed its winning streak to nine games.

A game decided early

San Antonio set the tone in the first quarter and never let go of the game. The Spurs led 31-25 after one quarter and 61-46 at halftime, then outscored Phoenix 32-22 in the third quarter to put the result beyond doubt. The fourth quarter was a formality, with San Antonio closing it out 29-28.

Wembanyama did most of his damage while the game was still being decided. He finished 15 of 19 from the field, 2 of 3 from three-point range and 8 of 10 from the free throw line in 25 minutes and 21 seconds on the floor. He added 11 rebounds and 3 assists, and his eight blocks matched the kind of rim protection that has defined his season. San Antonio outscored Phoenix by 30 points during his minutes.

Help from the supporting cast

Dylan Harper scored 17 points for San Antonio with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. De'Aaron Fox added 15 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists, and Julian Champagnie and Harrison Barnes scored 11 points each. The Spurs shot 46 of 91 from the field, 50.5 percent, and moved the ball for 30 assists against 21 for Phoenix.

The rebounding gap told its own story. San Antonio won the boards 65-44, scored 62 points in the paint to 48 for Phoenix, and added 19 fast break points to 10. Phoenix never led by more than one point all night.

Booker stands alone for Phoenix

Devin Booker led the Suns with 32 points in 29 minutes and 28 seconds, shooting 10 of 17 from the field and 9 of 10 from the line, with 2 rebounds and 4 assists. The support around him was thin. Khaman Maluach was the only other Phoenix player in double figures, with 11 points off the bench. Dillon Brooks and Miles Bridges scored 7 points each, and Jalen Green scored 6.

Phoenix shot 35 of 89 from the field, 39.3 percent, and spent most of the night chasing a San Antonio team that scored inside at will. The Suns fell behind early, cut nothing meaningful off the lead after halftime, and watched the margin grow to 34 in the second half.

Nine straight for San Antonio

San Antonio arrived in Phoenix on an eight-game winning streak and second in the Western Conference at 8-2, according to the pregame preview. The win makes it nine straight and keeps the Spurs near the top of the conference in the early weeks of the season. For Phoenix, the loss was a flat home performance against one of the hottest teams in the league, and the Suns will need more than Booker's scoring to fix it.