Wembanyama scores 41 again as Spurs beat Warriors

Wembanyama made an immediate impact, scoring 10 of his team’s first 14 points within the opening 3:36, helping San Antonio surge to a 17-3 lead, News.Az reports, citing AP.

He finished an efficient 16-of-22 from the field, marking his fourth 40-point outing of the season. The Spurs improved to 58-18, winning 15 of their last 16 games as they continue to chase the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder (60-16) in the Western Conference.

Late in the first quarter, De’Aaron Fox briefly left the game after taking a shot to the face but returned to finish with 11 points, one of seven Spurs players scoring in double figures.

For Golden State, Nate Williams led with 18 points, LJ Cryer matched his career high with 17, and Brandin Podziemski added 14 points, six rebounds and five assists. Stephen Curry missed his 26th straight game since January 30 due to a right knee injury.

Curry participated in a full practice and scrimmaged 5-on-5 on Tuesday as he works toward a return before the regular season ends. Head coach Steve Kerr said Curry is expected to scrimmage again in the coming days before being re-evaluated over the weekend.

Seth Curry, Stephen’s younger brother, contributed 12 points off the bench in his second game back after missing eight due to a strained left inner thigh.

Kristaps Porzingis sat out the first game of a back-to-back and is expected to return Thursday against Cleveland. Gary Payton II could also return after resting his right knee. Meanwhile, Gui Santos was ruled out late after suffering an elbow to the pelvic area, and Al Horford missed his 10th straight game with a right calf strain.

Up next, the Spurs will wrap up their road back-to-back against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, while the Warriors host the Cleveland Cavaliers.