Fifty, Twenty-Four and Eight: Wembanyama Just Did Something the League Hadn't Seen Since 1974

By Jordan Pierce, RF Sports Radio NBA voice

Hoops heads, put the remote down and just look at the line. Fifty-two points. Twenty-four rebounds. Eight blocks. Victor Wembanyama did not just win a game. He parked himself next to Bob McAdoo in the record book.

The facts

Wembanyama finished with career highs of 52 points and 24 rebounds plus eight blocks as the Spurs beat the Mavericks 112-111 on Wednesday, per NBA.com and the Associated Press. He is the first player with 50-plus points, 20-plus rebounds and five-plus blocks in a game since McAdoo in 1974, and he had 29 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in the first half alone, a first in the play-by-play era. San Antonio has won six straight after starting 0-2.

In the ESPN opener, the 76ers beat the Pistons 112-106, per NBA.com. That East showdown was billed as 7-1 Philadelphia against 6-1 Detroit with the league's top-rated defense. The nightcap in San Antonio became the national story the second Wembanyama's putbacks sealed it. He played through a virus, rolled his ankle in the fourth, and still finished the job, saying afterward, "I can still do more."

Dallas falls to 4-4 and hosts Utah on Friday in NBA Cup group play. The Spurs head to Sacramento on Friday. Around the league, Wednesday restored a full slate after Tuesday's Election Day pause.

Zoom out and the West remains crowded at the top after the early weeks, with Houston and others stacking wins while San Antonio's streak has turned an 0-2 start into a statement. Wembanyama, three days after winning West Player of the Week for Week 2, just made a case for a repeat. 'I hope so,' he said of another weekly honor. 'The goal is to get it every week.'

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: this is the best young big-man peak the league has seen in a generation. Fifty and twenty-four with eight blocks is not a hot night. It is a different sport.

The East game mattered for standings theater, and Philly winning on the road in Detroit will get its due. But if you cover this league and you lead with anything other than Wembanyama today, you missed the assignment.

For Dallas fans, the tape is brutal and useful. You just saw the standard in your own division. Match the physicality or keep losing these one-possession games.

What to watch next

Watch Friday's Spurs-Kings and Mavs-Jazz tips, and whether Wembanyama's ankle is an issue. For Wednesday's preview slate, read our Nov. 4 Election Day pause preview, and follow the league on our NBA page.

Radio question: is Wembanyama already the best player in the NBA, or do you still need a longer sample before you say it out loud?

Sources: NBA.com - Wembanyama sets career highs as Spurs top Mavs; AP News - Wembanyama 52 points, 24 rebounds in Spurs win; NBA.com/Pistons - 76ers beat Pistons 112-106; NBA.com - Starting 5, Nov. 3 preview of Wednesday slate.