Wembanyama Nets 40-Point Masterpiece in Flagg's Debut

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DALLAS, TX — The future of the NBA was supposed to begin with a celebration in Dallas, but instead, it arrived with a thunderous statement from San Antonio. In the season opener last night, Victor Wembanyama delivered a historic and dominant performance, scoring 40 points and grabbing 15 rebounds as the Spurs routed the Dallas Mavericks 125-92.

Wembanyama, who missed the end of last season due to injury, used the opening night stage to remind everyone what true generational talent looks like.

Wemby’s Historic Efficiency

The French star was unstoppable, logging his 40 points on just 21 field goal attempts (15-of-21 shooting, 71.4% FG), adding three blocks and notably committing zero turnovers. His dominance in the paint was absolute, as the Spurs hammered the Mavericks 68-26 inside. At one point, with a noisy Spurs contingent chanting “M-V-P! M-V-P!”, Wembanyama engineered a 13-0 run late in the first half to put the Spurs in control, using a pump-fake to draw a foul on Anthony Davis en route to a spectacular reverse dunk.

The 7-foot-4 sensation set a Spurs record for most points in a season opener, and the rout was a clear message to the Western Conference that the rebuilding in San Antonio may be proceeding faster than anticipated.

Flagg’s Quiet Debut

The game was also the highly anticipated NBA debut of No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. However, the former Duke star’s night was completely overshadowed by the player who had been drafted two years before him.

Rookie Struggles: Flagg was held scoreless in the first half, finally getting his first bucket on the first possession of the second. He finished with a modest 10 points and a double-double (10 rebounds) on 4-of-13 shooting, but notably recorded zero assists while starting at point guard.
The Co-Star: The true rookie star for San Antonio was Stephon Castle, last year’s Rookie of the Year, who delivered 22 points on hyper-efficient shooting (8-of-12), adding 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Castle’s consistent playmaking, along with the 15 points from fellow rookie Dylan Harper off the bench, proved the Spurs’ young core is far more cohesive than the Mavericks’.

Mavericks Face Tough Questions

The loss was a sobering reality check for the Mavericks, who were completely unable to slow Wembanyama down. Anthony Davis led the Mavericks with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Still, the team’s offense lacked perimeter creation and efficiency, particularly with Kyrie Irving sidelined for the start of the season as he recovers from an ACL tear.

The Mavericks now face the difficult task of regrouping after a demoralizing loss in which their highly touted rookie was thoroughly outshone, setting a challenging tone for the early season.