In an electrifying matchup, Victor Wembanyama and Malachi Castle made NBA history by both achieving 20-point triple-doubles in the same game. This monumental accomplishment has crowned Wembanyama and Castle as just the fifth duo in league history to reach this milestone. They’re the first to make it happen in San Antonio Spurs history. The Spurs were underdogs when they took on the Golden State Warriors in the first round. Even with their gaudy stats individually, they came up short in that game.
Wembanyama was the star of the night by any measure, leading the Spurs with 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for his second career 30-point triple-double. Castle was exemplary, posting 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, marking his first career triple-double. He accomplished another milestone last night, deriving his fourth straight game with 10+ assists, showcasing his improving playmaking ability.
The match played out in extraordinary fashion, especially during the closing minutes. With only 5.4 seconds left, Castle grabbed his 10th board, an important number that would complete his triple-double. Then Wembanyama threw one of the best full-court heaves you will ever see that was expertly banked in by Castle right before the buzzer went off. Both players got their triple-doubles in the final seconds of the game and proved that they deliver when it counts the most.
Even with their historic accomplishments, the pair had an uphill battle the entire contest. Among Wembanyama’s eight turnovers—his most in a game as a pro—lies the most obvious evidence of his current work-in-progress stature. To add to their dubious achievement, they became the first teammates in history to record 20-point triple-doubles in a loss, a testament to how rabidly competitive their opponents were. Stephen Curry took charge, pouring in a game-high 46 points. On the flip side, the Warriors displayed their offensive dominance by hitting 21 three-pointers as a team.
In looking back on their evening’s work, Wembanyama told reporters that it didn’t take away from the historic nature of what they accomplished despite the loss.
“I was thinking about [the double triple-double] of course,” – Victor Wembanyama
Head coach Gregg Popovich said their blend of disappointment and excitement over how they were playing was “confusing.” He stated, “They’re doing a lot of good. We just have to try to navigate some of the peaks and valleys. We’re just having too many lows. There’s still a lot of highs, and we’re doing a lot of good things. But we just need to be more consistent.”
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