Victor Wembanyama registered 23 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks to guide the visiting San Antonio Spurs past a depleted Dallas Mavericks squad 122-106, sealing their first triumph of the season on Saturday in the second half of a back-to-back set for both franchises.
Dylan Harper supplied 22 points for San Antonio, while De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle contributed 19 points apiece. Julian Champagnie provided 12 points off the bench, and Devin Vassell recorded 11 points in the balanced victory.
San Antonio established a 68-60 lead at the break, driven by Fox’s 15 first-half points, Wembanyama’s 12, and Castle’s 11. Rookie Sergio De Larrea kept Dallas within reach early by scoring 13 of his team-high 21 points off the bench before halftime, alongside 10-point contributions from PJ Washington and Naji Marshall.
The Spurs stretched their lead to 14 points early in the third quarter before Dallas responded with a relentless 22-7 surge to grab an 85-84 advantage. Late three-pointers by Castle and Wembanyama helped San Antonio regain a 92-89 lead heading into the final period. Beyond De Larrea, Dallas got 12 points each from Marcus Sasser, Washington, and Daniel Gafford, while Zaccharie Risacher added 11 and Marshall finished with 10. Scoring 22 of the ensuing 29 points and regaining the lead at 85-84, the Spurs expanded their lead to 14 early in the third before Dallas roared back.
In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid recorded his 10th career triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists to power the Philadelphia 76ers to a 127-116 home victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Jaylen Brown celebrated his 30th birthday by scoring 27 points, Tyrese Maxey dropped 26, and VJ Edgecombe delivered 17 points and 13 rebounds with five three-pointers.
Philadelphia surged early behind three opening-quarter triples from Edgecombe to build a 34-25 cushion. After Milwaukee tied the game 82-82 late in the third quarter, the 76ers mounted a quarter-ending 15-5 run fueled by three-pointers from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Maxey. Embiid later hit a jumper to extend the lead to 113-98 with six minutes remaining. Although Milwaukee pulled within three after a late 6-0 run, Philadelphia held on to remain unbeaten at 3-0. Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 21 points and Kel’el Ware chipped in 19 points and 13 rebounds off the bench for the Bucks, who dropped to 0-3. The Bucks fell to 0-3 despite eight players scoring in double figures, while the Sixers are 3-0 on the young season. Philadelphia started to pull away early in the fourth. The Sixers still held a comfortable advantage at 117-108 with 3:18 to go before the Bucks rattled off six in a row in just over a minute to make it a three-point game.
Meanwhile, Devin Booker exploded for 43 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds as the Phoenix Suns defeated the short-handed Golden State Warriors 131-122. Phoenix established a franchise record for points in a home opener, supported by Miles Bridges’s 16 points and Dillon Brooks’s 15 points.
Golden State was forced to play without key starters Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, and Draymond Green, along with veteran reserve Al Horford. Despite the absences, rookie Yaxel Lendeborg stepped up with 26 points and nine rebounds, while De’Anthony Melton scored 20 of his 25 points in the second half. Brandon Williams added 20 points for the Warriors.
Golden State took an early 25-22 lead after the first quarter behind Lendeborg’s six points on two three-pointers and Graham Ike’s six points and five rebounds. The Warriors hit 17 of 39 three-pointers on the night and generated 26 points off 19 offensive rebounds. In the third quarter, a 13-point burst from Melton featured in a 12-0 run that put Golden State ahead 73-71, but Booker restored control for Phoenix with a four-point play to make it 99-89. Luke Kennard, making his Suns debut after recovering from a knee injury, hit three three-pointers for 11 points, including a shot with 6:07 left that pushed the advantage to 117-102. Booker’s four-point play with 35 seconds left in the third quarter made it 99-89 for Phoenix.
