Victor Wembanyama made his return from injury for the San Antonio Spurs and helped them reach the NBA Cup final with a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The French sensation, who missed 12 games with a left calf issue, scored 22 points as the Spurs dramatically beat the NBA champions 111-109 in Las Vegas.
Wembanyama also registered nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks during his 21 minutes on court as the Thunder lost for only the second time in 26 games this season.
“I knew I had limited minutes so I had to make the most out of it,” said 21-year-old Wembanyama, whose team-mate Devin Vassell scored 23 points.
“Winning against a team like this, it might seem like it’s just a game but it’s a collective effort and it’s not an easy thing.
“It’s only their second loss of the season. It means something.”
The NBA Cup is the competition’s annual in-season tournament, with all matches except the final also counting towards the regular season standings.
The Thunder were beaten in last year’s final by the Milwaukee Bucks and had a 16-game winning run ended by the Spurs as they exited this season’s competition.
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