CNN
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Victor Wembanyama became the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points in a game on Wednesday night as he powered the San Antonio Spurs to a 139-130 win over the Washington Wizards.

At 20 years and 314 days old, the Frenchman achieved this feat at an age surpassed only by Devin Booker, LeBron James and Brandon Jennings, who is the record holder at 20 years and 52 days.

Wembanyama is the eighth player in franchise history to reach the 50-point mark. David Robinson’s 71 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on the final day of the 1993–94 season remains the most points scored by a Spurs player in a single game, and until Wednesday marked the last time a San Antonio player had reached 50 points scored in a match. match that did not lead to overtime.

“It’s definitely a big milestone,” Wembanyama told a press conference after the match. “It’s kind of like a private club.”

Nevertheless, the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year was keen to emphasize that he is focused on continuing his excellent run.

“At the end of the day, I want the rest of our performances and the rest of our matches to overshadow this one,” he said. “I want to make sure that this is just another one in the future.

“I like to celebrate the small victories and the big victories for a short time. But we’re already locked into the Lakers tomorrow.”

Wembanyama also recorded six rebounds, two assists and a career-high eight three-pointers, meaning he has now sunk six or more from beyond the arc in three straight games.

Elsewhere, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a season-high 59 points as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Detroit Pistons 127-120 in overtime.

The forward – who made 21 of his 34 shots and added 14 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks – recorded the second-highest point total of his career, five shy of the 64 points he scored against the Indiana Pacers last season.

This achievement means he now ranks first, second and fourth on the list of the Bucks’ highest-scoring players in a single game. Michael Redd ranks third on the list with 57 picks against the Utah Jazz in 2006.

With Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis all missing due to injuries, Milwaukee struggled in the first quarter. Antetokounmpo scored 22 of the team’s 24 points, while his teammates went 0-for-12 from the field.

“He single-handedly kept us in the game with his play,” head coach Doc Rivers said of Antetokounmpo in his post-game press conference.

In the third quarter, the Bucks rallied and overcame an 18-point deficit, but after Ron Holland II was fouled by Antetokounmpo with one second left in the fourth quarter, the Pistons had the perfect opportunity to win the game.

It was one they would pass up, however, as Holland missed both attempts and Milwaukee went on an 8-0 run, including Antetokounmpo’s only three-pointer of the game, to start overtime.

The two-time NBA MVP would total 11 points in overtime – two more than the Pistons – to complete the victory, meaning he accounted for 46% of the Bucks’ total points on the night.

“I had to be more aggressive,” he explained after the match. “Sometimes being selfless can be selfish.”

LeBron James found yet another way to make history on Wednesday night, setting the record for the oldest player to record three straight triple-doubles as the Los Angeles Lakers came from behind to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 128-123.

James, who turns 40 next month, had 35 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds, in addition to his triple-doubles against the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors in the two previous games.

It means the NBA’s all-time leading scorer has broken his own record as the oldest player to achieve the feat, which he set in November 2019 when he was 34 years old.

“He’s a master of the game,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said at a postgame news conference. “We obviously won’t win that match without him.”

Los Angeles trailed 96-91 early in the fourth quarter, but struck back with a 10-2 run. During a turbulent stretch, the lead changed hands three more times before Anthony Davis scored a crucial three-pointer with 4:51 remaining to give the Lakers a 111-108 lead, a lead they would not relinquish give.