SAN ANTONIO: Victor Wembanyama had 30 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks and the San Antonio Spurs had a season high in points to overcome 35 points and 13 rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo and beat the Milwaukee Bucks 144-118 on Friday night.
Keldon Johnson added 24 points and Stephon Castle had 20 as San Antonio snapped a two-game skid and won for just the second time in seven games.
Damian Lillard had 22 points for Milwaukee. Khris Middleton added 21.
Wembanyama was 9 for 20 from the field in a dynamic showing one day after being named to his first All-Star Game as a Western Conference reserve.
Wembanyama banked in a 34-foot 3-pointer that hit the backboard, bounced off the front of the rim, hit the backboard again and dropped in with 7:18 remaining in the third quarter. The 3-pointer drew loud gasps and cheers from the fans and left Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers with his arms raised in puzzlement.
Wembanyama closed out a 14-point quarter by making a running, one-legged 3-pointer.
Takeaways
Bucks: Middleton was 8 for 9 from the field, including 3 for 4 on 3-pointers, in 23 minutes off the bench.
Spurs: Castle is averaging 16.8 points and 3.3 assists in his past nine games since returning to the starting lineup.
Key moment
Wembanyama was held to two points on 1-for-4 shooting in the first quarter, but he had three blocks to help San Antonio end the period tied at 35. Wembanyama blocked Antetokounmpo’s shots twice in 14 seconds in the opening two minutes of the game. Antetokounmpo avoided a third block by powering in a dunk over Wembanyama.
Key stat
San Antonio shot 15 for 25 from the field in outscoring Milwaukee 45-30 in the third quarter.
Up next
The Bucks host Memphis on Sunday night. The Spurs host Miami on Saturday night to complete a three-game homestand.
Wembanyama has 30 points, 14 rebounds, 6 blocks to help Spurs beat Antetokounmpo, Bucks, 144-118
https://arab.news/gvhaw
Wembanyama has 30 points, 14 rebounds, 6 blocks to help Spurs beat Antetokounmpo, Bucks, 144-118
- Wembanyama was 9 for 20 from the field in an dynamic showing one day after being named to his first All-Star Game as a Western Conference reserve
England ‘not fearing anything’ against India, says Curran
- England will take on the favorites and hosts in front of 35,000 fiercely partisan fans in Mumbai on Thursday
- Curran said that because he and many of his England teammates play in the Indian Premier League (IPL), they will not be fazed
MUMBAI: England will go into their T20 World Cup semifinal against India with no fear, said all-rounder Sam Curran on Tuesday, adding that their first job would be to silence a raucous home crowd.
England will take on the favorites and hosts in front of 35,000 fiercely partisan fans in Mumbai on Thursday, with a place in the final against South Africa or New Zealand at stake.
The noise will be deafening at times in the cauldron-like confines of the Wankhede Stadium.
But Curran said that because he and many of his England teammates — such as Will Jacks at Mumbai Indians — play in the Indian Premier League (IPL), they will not be fazed.
“It’s an experience as a young cricketer you dream of — playing India in the semifinal of a World Cup,” left-arm seamer Curran told reporters.
Curran was in the international wilderness a year ago but forced his way back into the England squad with eye-catching performances in T20 franchise leagues, including the IPL.
“India are a quality side but we’ve played a lot of cricket here. We know how to play on these grounds and we know what to expect,” he said.
“The IPL, no question, has helped a lot. Having played in the ground many times, there’s not many unknowns.”
England experienced a hostile crowd at the Wankhede in their first match of the tournament when they beat Nepal in a final-ball thriller.
It was Curran who bowled the nerveless final “death” over, conceding just five runs when Nepal needed 10, to stave off an embarrassing defeat.
He then repeated the feat against Italy and has contributed with the bat from number six, scoring 149 runs so far with a best of 43 not out.
“We’re not fearing anything and I’m sure both teams are really excited by the challenge,” Curran said, adding England could judge how well they were playing by the volume of the fans.
“If the crowd are silent, England are probably going to be doing well. That’s our positive way of looking at it,” said Curran.
It is the third T20 World Cup in a row that England will have played India in the semifinals and each time the winners went on to lift the trophy.
In 2022, England crushed India by 10 wickets in Adelaide and went on to beat Pakistan in the Melbourne final.
Two years ago India won in Guyana by a similarly dominant 68 runs before downing South Africa in Barbados.
South Africa face New Zealand in the first semifinal on Wednesday. The final will take place on Sunday in Ahmedabad.
“I guess this is what the last four or five weeks have been building for,” said Curran.
“And hopefully we can take one more step toward the final.”
