Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Victor Wembanyama achieved a rare 5x5 stat line in Spurs' 106-88 win.
- Wembanyama scored 25 points, with nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals and five blocks.
- The Jazz suffered their fifth consecutive loss to start the season, committing 26 turnovers in the game.
SALT LAKE CITY — San Antonio center Victor Wembanyama was held to a career-low 6 points Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
If the Utah Jazz had any hopes of that slump continuing into Thursday's contest against the Spurs at the Delta Center, though, they were in vain.
The French phenom came out aggressive on offense with five 3-point attempts in the opening four minutes. He finished with a career-high 13 attempts en route to a monster stat line of 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals and five blocks in a 106-88 win for the Spurs.
Utah led 53-47 at halftime, thanks to a balanced effort between Keyonte George, Collin Sexton and rookie Kyle Filipowski in his first NBA start. Former Spurs player Patty Mills even caught fire in the first quarter with a trio of threes in quick succession, but the hot start was short-lived.
The Jazz grew careless with the ball, and an abysmal 26 total turnovers in the game led Utah to its fifth consecutive loss to start the season.
"Seventeen live ball turnovers in the game is unacceptable," Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. "There's not really much else to say. It's a very hard game already, and, you know, we have to do a better job as a group of valuing the ball."
A WEMBY-LIKE STAT LINE 👽
— NBA (@NBA) November 1, 2024
25 PTS
9 REB
7 AST
5 BLK
5 STL
4 3PM@wemby is just the 3rd player to record multiple '5 x 5' games in their career (since steals and blocks were recorded in 1973-74)! pic.twitter.com/5CUmrlnXfe
San Antonio scored 35 points off those giveaways and outscored Utah 30-14 in the third quarter to all but run away with the game as attention on press row turned to the burgeoning possibility of Wembanyama's rare 5x5 stat line (reaching at least five of any five box score stats) late in the game.
A fifth steal earned him the honor with 1:29 remaining in the game. It is the second 5x5 of the 20-year-old's young career as he becomes just the third player in NBA history to reach that stat line multiple times (Hakeem Olajuwon with six and Andrei Kirilenko with three).
"He's got great feel, he's a great passer (and) he doesn't really overdo it," Hardy said of Wembanyama. "The plays that he makes seem to make sense. He shoots when he should shoot and he passes when he should pass."
Collin Sexton led the Jazz with 16 points after George spent some time in the locker room with a rolled ankle and returned late in the game. Filipowski finished with 12 points and five boards in his first start, while John Collins reached a "quiet" double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Lauri Markkanen missed Thursday's game after leaving Tuesday's loss to Sacramento with back spasms.
Utah heads on the road for a four-game trip next in their quest for the first win of the season, beginning with the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
