NBA Recap: Wembanyama has Historic Half and a Madison Square Garden Thriller

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Tuesday night provided two vastly different spectacles: a display of pure, individual dominance by Victor Wembanyama in Los Angeles and a grueling, back-and-forth overtime battle in New York.

Victor Wembanyama’s 37-Point Half Crushes Lakers

The San Antonio Spurs extended their winning streak to five games with a 136–108 blowout of the Los Angeles Lakers, but the final score was secondary to the historic first-half performance by Victor Wembanyama.

The Stat of the Century: Wembanyama erupted for 37 points in the first half alone—the highest-scoring half by a Spurs player in the 21st century. He finished the night with 40 points in just 26 minutes of play, sitting out nearly the entire second half as the lead ballooned
Proving a Point: Wemby opened the game 5-of-5 from the field and had 25 points before the first quarter even ended. “It feels right,” Wembanyama said with a grin post-game when asked about his first-half flow.
Short-Handed Lakers: Los Angeles was missing its core of LeBron James (out for his 18th game), Luka Dončić (hamstring), and Austin Reaves. In their absence, Bronny James had 12 points and 6 assists, while Drew Timme added 14 points.
The Injury Bug: Despite the win, the Spurs saw rookie Stephon Castle leave the game in the first half with a bruised pelvis after a hard fall following a blocked shot.

Pacers Stun Knicks in Overtime Classic

At Madison Square Garden, the Indiana Pacers (14–40) pulled off the upset of the season, snapping a four-game losing streak by defeating the New York Knicks 137–134 in a high-octane overtime thriller.

39 Lead Changes: The game was a statistical rollercoaster featuring 39 lead changes and 14 ties.
Brunson’s 40 Not Enough: Jalen Brunson was sensational for the Knicks, carrying the load with 40 points and 8 assists. Karl-Anthony Towns forced overtime by sinking two ice-cold free throws with just 0.2 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at 124.
The Pacers’ Depth: Indiana relied on a balanced attack to overcome the Knicks’ star power. Pascal Siakam scored 30 points, while Andrew Nembhard orchestrated the offense with 24 points and 10 assists.
The OT Dagger: With the Pacers leading 135–131 in the extra period, Quenton Jackson drew a foul and sank two crucial free throws with three seconds left to put the game out of reach for New York.

Tuesday Night Scoreboard

Away Team	Score	Home Team	Score
Indiana Pacers	137	New York Knicks	134 (OT)
San Antonio Spurs	136	Los Angeles Lakers	108
Phoenix Suns	120	Dallas Mavericks	111
LA Clippers	95	Houston Rockets	102

Stat of the Night

Victor Wembanyama’s 26 minutes are the fewest by any player in a 40-point game since Sleepy Floyd accomplished the feat in 24 minutes in February 1991.