Wembanyama’s 52 points lift Spurs past Mavericks

The San Antonio Spurs beat the Dallas Mavericks 112-111 on Wednesday as Victor Wembanyama scored a career-high 52 points, grabbed 24 rebounds and blocked eight shots, extending San Antonio’s winning streak to six games. Wembanyama made the decisive free throw with 24.2 seconds remaining. Dallas had erased a 19-point deficit and briefly taken the lead in the fourth quarter, but Kyrie Irving missed a contested shot with 2.5 seconds left. Irving led the Mavericks with 29 points. The Spurs built their advantage around Wembanyama’s performance in the first half. He had 29 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks by halftime, helping San Antonio take a 68-51 lead. Reports described the first-half line as the first of its kind since the NBA’s play-by-play era began in 1996-97, with the threshold set at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. San Antonio’s lead reached 19 early in the third quarter before Dallas began its comeback. The Mavericks moved ahead 103-100 on a P.J. Washington three-pointer with 5:38 to play. Naji Marshall later tied the score at 111, before Wembanyama’s free throw put the Spurs back in front. Dallas called a timeout to set up its final possession, but...