Facing a shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers team Tuesday night, the San Antonio Spurs star delivered one of the most efficient scoring performances of his young career, pouring in 40 points in just 26 minutes in a dominant 136–108 win.

Wembanyama set the tone immediately, scoring 25 points in the first quarter alone on 8-of-9 shooting. By halftime, he had 37 points and the Spurs were comfortably ahead. He finished 13-of-20 from the field, 4-of-6 from three-point range, and 10-of-12 from the free throw line, adding 12 rebounds to complete a historic 40-point double-double in limited minutes.

According to ESPN Research, Wembanyama became just the fifth player in the shot clock era to score at least 40 points in 26 minutes or fewer. He also joined Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing as the only players in NBA history to post a 40-point, 12-rebound performance in that little playing time.

Despite the explosive outing, Wembanyama spent the entire fourth quarter on the bench with the game well in hand — a decision made with the bigger picture in mind.

“I was pushing to go back,” Wembanyama said. “But they did the right thing. We’ve got to think long term. Still, you’ve got to have that greed — every game — to want more.”

The Lakers were without several key players, including Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton, but Wembanyama emphasized that his focus was internal. The Spurs, currently second in the Western Conference, have occasionally struggled against undermanned opponents this season — something he was determined to avoid.

“What got me going was proving a point to myself and to my team,” he said. “We can’t just talk about what we need to do. We have to act.”

Lakers coach JJ Redick praised Wembanyama’s early aggression.

“He was very aggressive — attacking the basket and shooting without hesitation from three,” Redick said. “He really put his imprint on the game in the first half.”

Wembanyama briefly joked about checking back into the game in the fourth quarter and admitted he believed he could have surpassed his career-high 50 points had he played his usual minutes. But with a back-to-back against the Golden State Warriors awaiting the Spurs, the priority was clear.

“It’s a team game,” Wembanyama said. “The only stat that matters is the W.”

On this night, that stat came easily — powered by another statement performance from the 7-foot-4 phenom.

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