Victor Wembanyama’s 17-foot pull-up jumper with one second remaining secured a 101-100 victory for the San Antonio Spurs over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night, simultaneously clinching a playoff berth for the Spurs and ending their six-season postseason drought.
Wembanyama finished the game with 34 points and 12 rebounds, leading the Spurs to their fourth consecutive win. De’Aaron Fox contributed 23 points and Julian Champagnie added 14.
The Suns, despite 24 points from Collin Gillespie and 22 from Devin Booker, were unable to hold onto their lead in the final minute. A finger-roll layup by Fox brought the score to 100-99 with 26.6 seconds left. Following a timeout called by Suns coach Jordan Ott, Rasheer Fleming missed both free throw attempts after being fouled. This set the stage for Wembanyama’s game-winning shot over Oso Ighodaro.
The Spurs’ victory secures them a top-six finish in the Western Conference. The Suns remain seventh in the West.
Spurs guard Stephon Castle was absent from the game due to tightness in his right hip, a loss felt as Booker and Gillespie combined for 15 of 34 shooting. Gillespie was particularly effective early, making 5 of 7 three-pointers as the Suns initially built a 39-28 lead.
San Antonio responded with a 19-11 run in the third quarter, taking a 71-70 lead – their first since the first quarter. Booker then scored seven consecutive points to regain the lead for Phoenix.
The Suns concluded a six-game road trip with a 2-4 record. They are scheduled to host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. The Spurs will host the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.
Field goal percentages for the game were 38-91 (41.8%) for the Suns and 35-83 (42.2%) for the Spurs. Three-point shooting saw the Suns at 11-36 (30.6%) and the Spurs at 10-34 (29.4%). The Suns were 13-17 (76.5%) from the free-throw line, while the Spurs were 21-23 (91.3%).
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