Standing a towering 7-foot-3, the French rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama carved his name into the NBA history books with a remarkable triple-double, catapulting the San Antonio Spurs to a resounding 130-108 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Wembanyama, who was the No. 1 pick in last summer's draft, amassed 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in a mere 21 minutes on the court – a feat only outpaced by Russell Westbrook's 20-minute performance for Oklahoma back in 2014, as CBS News Detroit reported.
In doing so, the 20-year-old prodigy became the youngest player in the league to notch a triple-double without turning over the ball since this statistic started being recorded during the 1977-78 season, CBS News Detroit noted. His impressive passing skills were spotlighted as he exceeded his previous season high of seven assists, despite missing all of his four 3-point shots. "He's just a very good passer," praised Spurs coach Gregg Popovich in a statement obtained by CBS News Detroit.
The Spurs, who before the game stood with a depressing 6-30 record, only ahead of the Pistons, demonstrated team synergy as they had eight players scoring in double figures. Among them were Keldon Johnson with 17 points and Devin Vassell contributing 16. On the flip side, the Pistons (3-35) continued their free fall, suffering their sixth consecutive loss even with Jalen Duren's solid 21-point and 12-rebound performance and Jaden Ivey's effort of 19 points, as Fox Sports covered.
Embattled Detroit, still without their point guard Cade Cunningham due to a strained left knee, found themselves trailing from the first quarter and never managed to claw their way back into contention. "The focus and discipline wasn't there," conceded Pistons coach Monty Williams in a statement obtained by CBS News Detroit, taking responsibility for not having his team ready to face a determined San Antonio squad.
