By Le Figaro with AFP
Published 12 minutes ago
The duel between LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama kept all its promises. SEAN M. HAFFEY / AFP
The Frenchman produced a great performance this Friday evening against LeBron James’ Lakers (123-118).
French prodigy Victor Wembanyama managed a full and spectacular match with the San Antonio Spurs on the floor of the Los Angeles Lakers, without managing to win (123-118), Friday in the NBA. In the middle of the ceremony season, two weeks before the Oscars, the carpets are red and the stars shine in Los Angeles. Always good when it comes to seizing the moment, Victor Wembanyama did not make a mistake with his costume and delighted the audience at the former Staples Center (now Crypto.com arena), h ©sitting between whistles and applause.
Despite a new defeat for Spurs, the 46th in a long season (only 11 wins), the French giant (2.24 m) shone with 27 points, 10 rebounds, 8 passes, 5 interceptions and 5 blocks. Fans of numbers will note that the 20-year-old Frenchman became the youngest player to win a match in “quintuple five”with more than 5 units in the five statistical areas.
“It doesn’t matter what his stats are as long as he plays well and intelligentlyâ€, evacuated his trainer Gregg Popovich. Above all, “Wemby” he sorted the machine à «highlights»these spectacular actions which will flood social networks and delight his many fans, like this decisive pass after feinting, an alley-oop, or even a counter on Anthony Davis (28 points, 13 rebounds), the one of the best pivots in the league.
30 points pour LeBron James
Despite a match played the day before in Sacramento, Wembanyama struck from the start by scoring the Spurs’ first eight points between rebounds, assists and interceptions. The Frenchman had 11 points after three minutes of play, 20 points at halftime. He continued to weigh in at the end of the match but could do nothing against the experience of the Lakers, victorious in the NBA Cup in December.
Wembanyama played his second match in Los Angeles on Friday, after a match against the Clippers in November. THE «King» LeBron James, to whom the Frenchman is sometimes compared, also displayed his offensive range with 30 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists, accelerating during hot moments, and remains the boss, 39 years old. At the top of the Western Conference, Oklahoma City’s victory against Washington (147-106) combined with Minnesota’s defeat against Milwaukee (112-107), allows OKC to return to the lead with the same record as the Wolves (39 victories – 17 defeats).
In New Orleans, the Pelicans’ defeat against Miami (106-95) was marred by a fight triggered by a foul by Kevin Love on Zion Williamson in the first leg. 4th quarter goal.
Four players were expelled, notably Heat star Jimmy Butler (23 pts, 9 rebounds), who returned to the competition after three matches missed for family reasons.
“No one wants to see this kind of thing”commented, sorry, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra, who estimated that the scuffle had started on a “misunderstanding”. The Warriors triumphed at home against the Charlotte Hornets (97-84). Their iconic coach Steve Kerr, four times champion with Golden State, extended his contract by two years for $35 million according to ESPN, a record amount for an NBA coach.
2024-02-24 07:55:08
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