Victor Wembanyama towers over late Nets rally: 31-14-6 as unbeaten Spurs move to 3–0

Victor Wembanyama stuffed the box score and crushed the final minutes on Sunday, Oct. 26, powering San Antonio past Brooklyn 118–107 after the Spurs had coughed up a 26-point lead. The second-year star finished with 31 points, 14 rebounds, 6 blocks, 4 assists and 3 steals in 36 minutes, igniting a late 10–0 closing burst that preserved the perfect start.

A wild arc: from blowout to brink to breakaway

San Antonio led by 26 early in the third, only for Brooklyn to storm back and briefly take the lead in the fourth behind a torrid shot-making stretch from their lead guard. The game flipped again when the Spurs strung together stops—Wembanyama erased a drive at the rim, then altered a pull-up on the next trip—while the offense leaned on quick-hitting actions for downhill paint touches and corner threes. Three different Spurs scored during the clinching run, but the anchor was the 7’4” centerpiece swallowing space on defense and drawing extra bodies on offense.

Scoring by quarter

(Scoring breakdown reflects the swing: fast Spurs start, Nets surge mid-game, Spurs close.)

Wembanyama’s historic three-game start

Through three games, Wembanyama has already cleared the 100-point mark while swatting 18 shots, an unprecedented blend to open a season. The numbers place him in rare early-season company for two-way impact: elite scoring volume, elite rim protection, and a near-total absence of empty possessions. Even on a night when the shot chart wasn’t pristine (9-of-21 FG; 3-of-6 from deep; 10-of-15 FT), his possession-to-possession gravity dictated Brooklyn’s choices.

Why it travels:

• Shot diet: Rim finishes, catch-and-shoot threes from above the break, and short-roll touch shots—each repeatable against varied coverages.

• Defensive timing: Blocks are coming from verticality and second-jump reads rather than chase plays, keeping him out of foul trouble.

• Passing growth: Four assists undersell how many rotations he forced; the ball routinely found the weak side in rhythm.

Supporting cast and context

• Backcourt lift: The rookie lead guard chipped in 20 points and 8 assists, zipping the ball into windows before the Nets’ help could load to Wembanyama.

• Wings on time: A veteran scorer delivered 19, while the spacing pieces hit timely corner shots during the deciding run.

• Short-handed but sharp: San Antonio remained without three rotation regulars (backcourt and frontcourt injuries), yet the structure held: early paint touches, purposeful pace, and a top-10 defensive look anchored by No. 1.

On the other side, Brooklyn’s spark plug poured in 40 to spearhead the comeback, with their stretch forward and center combining for solid complementary lines. What they couldn’t solve late: the rim. Between contested floaters and erased layups, their final five minutes skewed into tough, low-value attempts.

Film-room notes: how the Spurs closed it

1. Switch to “peel and stay” at the nail: San Antonio shaded an extra body toward the ball while trusting Wembanyama to clean the back line, turning drives into kickouts and the clock into a defender.

2. Early offense with purpose: Instead of hunting hero shots, the Spurs attacked matchups before Brooklyn set its traps—slips, 45-cuts, and hit-aheads that generated simple reads.

3. Glass control: Two of Wembanyama’s late boards were momentum-killers; one turned instantly into a run-out three.

The bigger picture: MVP drumbeat in October

Three games don’t make a season, but the shape of Wembanyama’s impact does. He’s toggling between primary scorer and ecosystem amplifier within the same quarter, and his defense is already dictating opponent shot maps. With San Antonio 3–0, the early narrative writes itself: an MVP-caliber start from a 21-year-old returning to full health after last winter’s shutdown.

What’s next for Wembanyama and the Spurs

• Sustain the rim diet: Keep the blend of rolls, slips, and short-roll touches that produce high-percentage looks and free throws.

• Protect minutes amid injuries: Until the rotation normalizes, expect careful staggering to keep two creators on the floor with Wembanyama at all times.

• Crunch-time clarity: Sunday’s template—defense-first with simple, repeatable sets—travels to tight road games.

Victor Wembanyama just authored a classic early-season statement—monster counting stats, winning plays when the lead vanished, and the poise to steady a young group. If this is the baseline, October’s buzz could become a season-long roar.