Victor Wembanyama records third 40-plus point debut on Christmas Day

Stephen Noh @StephNoh
Imagine having Wemby in the league and longing for the days when Kendrick Perkins could average 6 PPG as a starting Whomping Willow center for two different Finals teams. – 2:43 PM

Tom Haberstroh @tomhaberstroh
Wemby 42-18-4-4 +7. Knicks win by 3. Wow a game – 2:31 PM

Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Great game to start today’s Christmas NBA slate. Wemby showed out with 42, Mikal Bridges with a 40-piece of his own, back-and-forth contest that came down to the wire at MSG. Love to see it – 2:30 PM

Paul Garcia @PaulGarciaNBA
The Spurs are unable to secure 2 defensive rebounds and the Knicks hold on for the 3 point win.
Wemby 42 pts, 18 reb, 4 blk
Bridges 41 pts
The Spurs fall to…
…15-15 overall
…4-8 on the road
…2-3 vs the East
…8-5 in crunch time pic.x.com/Sk5Kfapqbm – 2:29 PM

Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
Even in a loss, Wemby made his mark. pic.x.com/S7iQI4R6tK – 2:29 PM

Ben Golliver @BenGolliver
Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (42 points, 18 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks) joins Wilt Chamberlain and Nikola Jokic as only players with 40+ points/15+ rebounds on Christmas.
– Knicks win 117-114 at MSG. pic.x.com/H0eALpF9t0 – 2:28 PM

StatMuse @statmuse
Wemby in his Christmas debut:
42 PTS
18 REB
4 BLK
6 3P
Alien. pic.x.com/6gar1yOCvZ – 2:27 PM

Erik Slater @erikslater_
What an incredible duel between Victor Wembanyama and Mikal Bridges at MSG. – 2:23 PM

Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
The only players with at least 42 points and 15 rebounds on Christmas Day:
— Wilt Chamberlain, twice
— Victor Wembanyama – 2:17 PM

David Aldridge @davidaldridgedc
Wemby: pic.x.com/tXkjxiTHa6 – 2:13 PM

Eurohoops @Eurohoopsnet
40+ on Christmas for Wembanyama!
PAPA NOEL in NY 👽pic.x.com/rSWsAcXfNR – 2:12 PM

Michael C. Wright @mikecwright
Wemby is the third player in NBA history with 40 points and 15 rebounds on Christmas Day, joining Wilt Chamberlain (1959 & 1961) and Nikola Jokic (2022). – 2:11 PM

Michael C. Wright @mikecwright
Had they not taken away that 3, Vic Wembanyama would’ve matched Wilt Chamberlain’s 45-point Christmas debut from 1959. – 2:10 PM

Tom Orsborn @tom_orsborn
Huge game from Wemby, but it won’t be a true Joyeaux Noel for the Frenchman unless the Spurs collect the W. – 2:10 PM

Tom Haberstroh @tomhaberstroh
Victor Wembanyama just became the first Knicks opponent to score 40+ at Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day since 1966.
He has 42 in early 4Q – 2:09 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
Victor Wembanyama is still like half a decade away from his prime. – 2:09 PM

Kendrick Perkins @KendrickPerkins
Wemby having a Kobe, MJ, Bron type of Christmas Day performance in Madison Square Garden is what I’m here for. The young man is definitely standing on Business!!! – 2:09 PM

Tom Haberstroh @tomhaberstroh
Wemby is 20 – 2:09 PM

Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
Victor Wembanyama: The 10th 45-point game in Christmas Day history. And there’s a lot of time left. – 2:08 PM

Paul Garcia @PaulGarciaNBA
42 point Xmas debut for Wemby
20 paint points
18 points from three
4 made free throws – 2:08 PM

Tom Orsborn @tom_orsborn
Wemby with 42 points. It’s his fourth 40-plus game of the season and his second in the last four games. – 2:07 PM

Ryan Blackburn @NBABlackburn
Wemby has what?! – 2:07 PM

Paul Garcia @PaulGarciaNBA
Haven’t checked official shot locations, but should this hold with Wemby having 16 paint points, that will be a new season high for him in paint scoring this season. – 2:04 PM

Paul Garcia @PaulGarciaNBA
35 points for Wemby now after he finishes the alley-oop from Champagnie and then layup going under Precious.
Wemby with 16 paint points – 2:01 PM

Paul Garcia @PaulGarciaNBA
Knicks by 5. NYK win the 3Q 37-25.
2s: Knicks by 18
3s: Spurs by 15
FTs: Knicks by 2
Wemby 31 pts, 13 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 4 blk
Sochan 16 pts
Vassell 11 pts
Bridges 26 pts
KAT 21 pts
Brunson 20 pts – 1:55 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
Wembanyama goes to the bench and Brunson starts going to the hole every time. – 1:51 PM

Paul Garcia @PaulGarciaNBA
Entering today’s game, Wemby is shooting 45% on wide open 3s (defender 6+ feet away). – 1:45 PM

Tom Orsborn @tom_orsborn
Wemby sizzling in his Christmas Day debut: 31 points for his seventh 30-plus game of the season. – 1:44 PM

Paul Garcia @PaulGarciaNBA
Wemby’s got 31 points and it’s still the 3Q.
He drilled his 5th three on a wide open center arc look.
He’s also got 12 paint points and 4 made free throws.
He recorded his 3rd block on a Brunson 3PA.
Spurs by 1 – 1:44 PM

Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Wemby is already elite and he still has so much room to grow. Scary stuff for a dude in Year 2 – 1:44 PM

Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
Wemby’s first half: 24 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks.
Nobody has had all that in a first half since the play-by-play era started in 1996. – 1:41 PM

Ball Don’t Lie @Balldontlie
KAT goes right at Wemby for the slam 💪
(via @NBA)
pic.x.com/CWOCGNpBzQ – 1:39 PM

Michael C. Wright @mikecwright
Victor Wembanyama now has 3 3-pointers and 3 blocks in 4 straight games. That’s the longest such streak in NBA history, per the great @StatsWilliams – 1:36 PM

Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
KAT strikes back! A dunk over Wemby and a long 3 in his eye… 66-64 Knicks, 21-8 for Towns – 1:33 PM

Kendrick Perkins @KendrickPerkins
Wemby and KAT are setting the Tone for Christmas!!! I love it. #NBAChristmas – 1:30 PM

Tom Orsborn @tom_orsborn
Spurs lead 58-51 at the break behind Wemby’s 24 pts & 11 rebs. Before the game, Mitch hinted a big game could be coming from him: “He embraces the moment…Good players who put in the right preparation and have the right mindset typically you see them thrive in the big moments.” – 1:11 PM

Tom Haberstroh @tomhaberstroh
It’s official: Victor Wembanyama has made his entrance into the national conscience. – 1:11 PM

StatMuse @statmuse
Wemby at half:
24 PTS
11 REB
2 BLK
4 3P
Elite Christmas debut. pic.x.com/RfZVMxj7Dj – 1:10 PM

Paul Garcia @PaulGarciaNBA
Half: Spurs by 7. SA wins the 2Q 31-23.
2s: Tie
3s: Spurs by 9
FTs: Knicks by 2
Wemby 24 pts (4 made threes), 11 reb, 4 ast, 2 blk
Bridges 16 pts
KAT 10 pts – 1:09 PM

Michael C. Wright @mikecwright
Here’s more wild stuff about Wemby’s impact. When he’s on the floor, opponents had an average shot distance of 15.3 feet, 3rd-longest in the NBA. When he’s off the court, opponents have had an average shot distance of 14.1 feet, which would be the shortest in the league. – 1:09 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
Victor Wembanyama has 24 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks at halftime, and on top of that he has affected shot after shot the Knicks have tried to put up. Just an insane performance over the first two quarters. – 1:08 PM

Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
In the first quarter, Wembanyama was shooting everything in sight. Now he’s getting his Larry Bird-Magic Johnson passing on.
This is incredible to watch – 1:02 PM

NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
Wemby with the DEEP 3 🎯 pic.x.com/hAau06YNv6 – 1:00 PM

Paul Garcia @PaulGarciaNBA
After the Spurs led by 9 (largest lead of the game), the Knicks haver responded with a 12-4 run. 7-2 run since Wemby checked out.
Wemby’s got 19 pts in the first half.
Knicks chipping at Spurs’ lead from 3PT – 12:59 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
Victor Wembanyama is a really tall guy. – 12:50 PM

Paul Garcia @PaulGarciaNBA
15 points for Wemby now after he drills 2 deep threes to begin the 2Q.
Chris Paul is also 2/3 from distance.
Spurs winning the 3PT line by 15 points and hold a 7-point lead. – 12:47 PM

Paul Garcia @PaulGarciaNBA
1Q: Knicks by 1.
2s: Knicks by 10
3s: Spurs by 9
FTs: Tie
Wemby 10 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk
Bridges 9 pts
KAT 8 pts
Brunson 7 pts
No Bassey mins in the 1Q, Sochan played backup 5 until Wemby returned – 12:41 PM

Paul Garcia @PaulGarciaNBA
After starting 0/4 from distance, Wemby gets his first triple to fall on a pull-up corner look.
He’s got 7 points to lead the Spurs early, along with 2 blocks – 12:35 PM

NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
Wemby’s first Christmas bucket 🔥 pic.x.com/dxnMGkZeeB – 12:27 PM

Michael C. Wright @mikecwright
Coming into this game, Wembanyama had accounted for 47% of San Antonio’s blocks this season (95 of 202), the highest percentage this season in the NBA. – 12:26 PM

Nick DePaula @NickDePaula
Wemby is wearing a GT Hustle PE on Christmas Day at the Garden. pic.x.com/jWSUO03X4L – 12:25 PM

Michael C. Wright @mikecwright
Victor Wembanyama needed 96 games to reach 350 career blocks. That’s the third-fewest games to hit that milestone since blocks became an official stat in 1973-74. – 12:21 PM

Michael C. Wright @mikecwright
We’re now up to 64 straight games with a block for Victor Wembanyama. – 12:20 PM

Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
Wemby: 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in the first 7 minutes of his first Christmas game. – 12:19 PM

NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
Animated Wemby and Brunson in warmups 😂🔥
Dunk the Halls on ESPN2, Disney+ and ESPN+ 🎁 pic.x.com/eZTDJVJ6ZU – 12:08 PM

Paul Garcia @PaulGarciaNBA
Starters for Spurs @ Knicks on Christmas Day:
1 – CP3 vs Brunson
2 – Vassell vs Bridges
3 – Barnes vs OG
4 – Sochan vs Hart
5 – Wemby vs KAT – 11:40 AM

Michael C. Wright @mikecwright
Always an interesting sight to see Wemby and acting head coach Mitch Johnson putting in pregame work together. Spurs locker room is pretty lively. Young squad is excited to play on Christmas. pic.x.com/k3PzlhXwgQ – 11:25 AM

Ben Golliver @BenGolliver
Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama takes the Madison Square Garden court for Christmas pic.x.com/Eh7QkzpMi0 – 11:14 AM