During the game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves at the Frost Bank Center, history was made as Victor Wembanyama broke a record after recording 12 blocks in a single NBA playoff game, something that is not normal at all.
To give an idea of what just happened in San Antonio, Wemby already had 10 blocks by the third quarter and added two more in the final stretch to complete 12, something inhuman that shows he will be a generational player and how important he will be for the Spurs in the fight to win the title as a young team.
Wemby surpassed the formidable mark held by three players who had the record with 10 blocks, and they are the following:
- Andrew Bynum – 10
- Hakeem Olajuwon – 10
- Mark Eaton – 10
Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates during the third quarter of the game.
Wemby record was not enough
Despite the record achieved, the Spurs suffered a Game 1 home loss against the Timberwolves with a 104-102 result, where rushed decisions and not closing the game when they had the lead ended up costing them, even with Anthony Edwards with restricted minutes.
Wembanyama had an exceptional defensive performance, finishing the game with 11 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 blocks, a monstrous triple-double. But at the same time, he shot 5/17 FG and 0/8 from three in 40 minutes of play, which is impressive.
His matchup, Gobert, ended up having a strong game for the Timberwolves, showing his experience, finishing with 7 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks, but with almost 20 minutes less of playing time. His replacement was Naz Reid, who finished with 12 points and 9 rebounds. Something to add is the participation of Edwards with restricted minutes, in 25 minutes, he had 18 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.
A record tied by Wemby
The record he broke is impressive, and he was close to breaking another one in the first half of the game. Wembanyama tied Dwight Howard with 8 first-half playoff blocks for the most in the play-by-play NBA era. Howard had 8 in the first half in Game 1 on April 18, 2010, vs the Charlotte Bobcats.
