With 30 points in just 21 minutes vs. the Memphis Grizzlies, Victor Wembanyama now rounds out an unlikely trio in San Antonio Spurs history. A franchise very familiar with “The Big 3” now features a threesome that includes Wemby, David Robinson, and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker they are not, but the most prolific scorers the Spurs have ever rolled out in less than two full quarters, they are, putting up the most points in less than 22 minutes of a single game.
With a minutes restriction in his first game back from a left knee hyperextension suffered on New Year's Eve, Wembanyama went 10-of-20 from the field, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range, off the bench. He also grabbed five rebounds to go along with three assists, a blocked shot, and a steal.
As impressive as that production is, two other Spurs have scored the ball better in limited time.
Victor Wembanya joins David Robinson in Spurs history
Also against the Grizzlies – in the franchise's fourth-ever game – Robinson put up 31 back in November of 1995. Coming off his NBA MVP season, ‘The Admiral' hit 13 of the 19 shots he took in 21 minutes of action. He nabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots, and collected three steals in a 111-62 rout against the then team from Vancouver. That edition of the Spurs, like just about all of the future Hall-of-Famer's pre-Duncan teams, enjoyed a great regular season (59 wins) before getting knocked out before the conference finals. They lost to the Utah Jazz in six games of those playoffs. The Grizz, headlined by “Big Country” Bryant Reeves, finished their first season of existence with a 15-67 mark.
One doesn't have to go back nearly that far for a performance that tops both one of the Top 75 Players as decided by the NBA and Wemby.
In March of 2025, Sandro Mamukelashvili not only made Spurs history, but etched his name in the NBA record books as well. His 34 points in just 19 minutes vs. a New York Knicks team that would advance to the Eastern Conference Finals marked the first time a player in the league scored that much while playing less than 20 minutes. Playing against his hometown Knicks, the Seton Hall alum hit a staggering 13 of 14 shots from the field, including all seven of his 3-pointers and his lone free throw. He also managed to clear nine rebounds and three assists in a 120-105 win.
Wembanyama did not play that night. The March 19 contest came almost a month to the day the Spurs announced that their cornerstone would miss the remainder of the season because of blood clots in his right shoulder. San Antonio finished 34-48, which represented a 12-game improvement from the 2023 first overall draft pick's rookie season.
Now in his third year, the generational talent was averaging 24.3 points per game heading into what turned into the Spurs' fourth loss in six games. His 11.7 rebounds and 2.9 blocks also lead the squad. They're numbers that have come with Wemby on minutes restriction ever since he returned on December 13 from his first injury of the season, a calf strain suffered a month earlier.
