San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama put up career highs of 52 points and 24 rebounds along with eight blocks on Wednesday night, Nov. 4, 2026, leading his team to a 112-111 win in the Mavericks vs Spurs matchup in San Antonio. On the same night, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic scored 40 points in a 116-103 victory over the Sacramento Kings, keeping both stars at the center of the early 2026-27 NBA MVP race.
Wembanyama played 34 minutes, dished out two assists, and shot 57.1% from the field, according to the Associated Press. After Dallas erased a 19-point deficit to tie the game at 111, Wembanyama hit a late free throw to seal San Antonio’s sixth consecutive win. The result moved the Spurs to 6-2 after early losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder (116-104) and the Houston Rockets (114-110), while dropping the Mavericks to 4-4 with their second loss to San Antonio this season.
According to Underdog NBA and BasketNews, Wembanyama is the first player since Bob McAdoo in 1974—and only the second since the league began officially tracking blocks in the 1973-74 season—to record at least 50 points, 20 rebounds, and five blocks in a single game. He set the tone before the break, collecting 29 points, 15 rebounds, five blocks, and two steals in 16 minutes and 37 seconds of first-half action. That made him the first player in the NBA’s play-by-play era to record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks in a single half.
Wembanyama went 15-for-15 at the free-throw line in the first half as San Antonio finished 33-for-39 at the stripe compared to 19-for-26 for Dallas. Dylan Harper added 13 first-half points for the Spurs, while Kyrie Irving (17) and P.J. Washington Jr. (13) paced the Mavericks at halftime. During one first-half sequence, Wembanyama blocked three shots in 13 seconds on a single possession against Dallas’s Cooper Flagg and Washington before teammate De’Aaron Fox corralled the third block with 3:38 left in the second quarter.
Following the game, Spurs beat writer Matt Guzman reported that Wembanyama had been playing through weakness from a virus over recent outings. “I haven’t been feeling great lately … tonight it felt like I got my legs back,” Wembanyama said afterward.
Wemby Stats and the Early MVP Race With Luka Doncic
Wednesday’s outburst lifted the season-long Wemby stats across eight games to 29.0 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks per game on 48.6% shooting from the field. Through his first seven appearances, he had averaged 25.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks while shooting 46.9% overall and 26.2% from three-point range.
In the preseason 2026-27 NBA general manager survey, Wembanyama received 77% of the vote to win his first MVP award, ahead of Nikola Jokic (10%) and Anthony Edwards (7%), while Doncic received zero votes after finishing fourth in MVP voting last season. Earlier this week, however, Doncic passed Wembanyama to become the betting favorite at +200 on FanDuel and DraftKings and 34% on Polymarket after averaging 38.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 1.9 steals on 49.7% shooting (42.7% from deep) across his first seven games.
Wembanyama’s big night immediately sparked debate among fans online, with one fan studied by College Sports Network posting, “Luka Doncic has no chance it’s over,” while X user @BronGotGame wrote, “Media gon eat this up💔 Luka never getting that MVP,” following the Spurs’ win.
Doncic Extends Scoring Tear Against Sacramento
Doncic answered on the court Wednesday night with 40 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in 35 minutes as the Lakers beat the Kings 116-103, theScore reported via the Associated Press. (The Associated Press and Google Sports Data listed Sacramento as the home team, while Fadeaway World described the game as a Lakers win at home.) Austin Reaves added 21 points for Los Angeles.
Shooting 11-for-23 from the floor (47.8%) and 6-for-13 from three-point range, Doncic logged his fifth 40-point outing of the season, his third consecutive 40-point game, and his sixth straight game with at least 35 points. Through eight games, the Slovenian guard is averaging a league-high 38.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game while shooting 49.5% from the field, 43.1% from beyond the arc, and 89.1% at the free-throw line. During the win, a Kings fan was ejected for throwing the ball at official Chelisa Painter, prompting Doncic to tell reporters afterward, “Yeah, he just tossed the ball at the ref, and I was just asking what the hell he was doing,” according to Fadeaway World.
Doncic and the Lakers return to action on Friday night, Nov. 6, when they host the Portland Trail Blazers.