Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French rookie, scored a game-high 42 points in his Christmas Day debut at Madison Square Garden. His performance included 18 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 blocks, despite the San Antonio Spurs’ 117-114 loss to the Knicks. Wembanyama’s scoring ranks third in NBA history for a player making their Christmas Day debut, behind Wilt Chamberlain (45) and Tracy McGrady (43). He became the third player after Chamberlain and Nikola Jokic to score 40-plus points with 15-plus rebounds on Christmas. Wembanyama’s defensive impact was significant, limiting the Knicks to 3-of-13 shooting when he was the contesting defender. He also held Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to 1-of-9 shooting. His offensive output surged in the second quarter, where he scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting. By halftime, he had 24 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks, a feat only matched by Shaquille O’Neal and Anthony Davis in the past 25 years on Christmas Day. Despite the loss, Wembanyama’s performance was historic.
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