Wembanyama Plays Through Illness and Ankle Roll for 52 Points, 24 Rebounds as Spurs Edge Mavericks

By The Arena Staff

SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 5, 2026 — Victor Wembanyama said afterward that he had been sick for a while. On Wednesday night he finally felt like himself again, and the Dallas Mavericks paid for it.

The Spurs center finished with career highs of 52 points and 24 rebounds, plus eight blocked shots, two steals and seven dunks, as San Antonio held on for a 112-111 win at Frost Bank Center. He made 16 of 28 shots and 19 of 23 free throws, and he made 14 of 18 shots in the paint, The Associated Press reported. The win was the Spurs' sixth straight and moved them to 6-2.

Most of the damage came early. Wembanyama had 29 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks by halftime, and the AP said he was the first player since the 1996-97 season, when play-by-play records began, to post at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a half. On one Dallas possession late in the second quarter he blocked three shots in about 13 seconds, including attempts by Cooper Flagg and P.J. Washington, before De'Aaron Fox finally came up with the ball. San Antonio led 68-51 at the break.

The second half was harder. Dallas chipped away, and with 9:11 left Wembanyama rolled his right ankle when he stepped on Walter Clayton Jr.'s foot and went to the locker room with the Spurs up 94-87. He was back on the floor with 6:05 to go, after a Flagg alley-oop had cut the lead to 100-99. When Washington's 3-pointer put Dallas up 103-100, Wembanyama answered with a tying 3, one of 10 points he scored down the stretch.

The winning point was not pretty. He went 1 for 4 at the line in the last 2:10, and his split pair with 24.2 seconds left provided the final margin. Kyrie Irving, who led Dallas with 29 points on 9-of-27 shooting, missed a contested turnaround jumper in the closing seconds.

"I haven't been feeling great lately. I've been sick for a while and today I felt like I got my legs back," Wembanyama said, according to the AP. "So it should be more like this, more often." He also said he could still do more, noting that his 3-pointers weren't falling. He went 1 for 8 from deep.

Teammate Dylan Harper, who scored 21, put it more simply. "He's Superman," Harper said. "He rolls his ankle and pops right up and acts like nothing happened."

The NBA's official account noted that Wembanyama is the first player with at least 50 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks in a game since Bob McAdoo in 1974. The Spurs were 23 points better than Dallas with him on the floor and 22 points worse without him, the AP reported. Stephon Castle added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and San Antonio outrebounded Dallas 61-50.

Flagg had 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Mavericks (4-4), who have lost two straight. Naji Marshall scored 22 and Washington had 21 points and 10 rebounds. The Spurs play at Sacramento on Friday. Dallas hosts Utah the same night.

Sources: The Associated Press, NBC News, ESPN and Mavs.com.