Victor Wembanyama Leads San Antonio Spurs Past Miami Heat for 1st Preseason Win
The San Antonio Spurs welcomed the glitz and glamor of the national spotlight to the Frost Bank Center on Friday night as they hosted the Miami Heat for their second preseason game.
Fans watching live and from afar certainly got their time and moneys worth. The Spurs got another impressive performance from rookie star Victor Wembanyama, who finished with a team-high 23 points on 10 of 15 shooting to go along with three blocks en route to leading San Antonio to a 120-104 win over Miami.
The Spurs also got a big game from Devin Vassell, who posted 21 points on six made triples. Jeremy Sochan (10 points, six rebounds) and Cedi Osman (10 points) also came up with solid nights while getting the start.
The Heat were without nine players from their usual rotation. Guys like Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and others didn't play in Friday's preseason contest. Miami got a game-high 24 points from forward Jamal Cain while Duncan Robinson (14 points), Dru Smith (13 points), and Orlando Robinson (12 points) all added double-digit scoring efforts.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) blocks the shot attempted by Miami Heat guard Dru Smith (9) during the first half at Frost Bank Center.
© Scott Wachter, USA TODAY
Behind back-to-back mid-range jumpers from Wembanyama, the Spurs jumped out to a 9-0 lead. The Heat failed to score until the 8:43 mark of the first quarter. But despite the lack of star power on Miami's side, the Spurs showed their youth by following the hot start with some sloppy play.
The Heat managed to take its first lead at 23-21 after a triple from Haywood Highsmith. It remained neck-and-neck for the rest of the half, but it was the Spurs who led 59-56 at halftime after a quick 8-0 run was ignited by triples from Wembanyama and Malaki Branham. In the closing minute, Vassell added another make from behind the arc while Wemby had a highlight dunk on an alley-loop.
Wembanyama had eight points in the third quarter, but the Spurs led by just two headed into the fourth at 86-84.
Wemby sat for the entire fourth quarter. Surprisingly, this is when the Spurs started to pull away. Dominick Barlow had all 11 of his points in the final period, which helped San Antonio cruise to a double-digit win in game that was much closer than the final score indicated.
The Spurs play their next preseason game on Monday at home against the Houston Rockets.
