NBA roundup: Wembanyama leads Spurs past Warriors for 10th successive victory

[p]Two days after the French star scored the fastest double-double in NBA history, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wembanyama-victor/jFmM1MFl/"]Wembanyama[/a] also grabbed 18 rebounds [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/golden-state-warriors-SxUtXqch/san-antonio-spurs-IwmkErSH/?mid=fHCjhJlo"]in a wire-to-wire victory[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-antonio-spurs/IwmkErSH/"]San Antonio[/a] have emerged as genuine NBA title contenders in the second half of the season, winning 26 of their past 28 games.[/p][p][b]They sit second in the Western Conference, just two wins behind the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Oklahoma City Thunder[/a], with six regular-season games remaining in the battle for the top seed.[/b][/p][p]The two Western giants are the favourites to win this year's NBA championship, with the play-offs beginning in mid-April.[/p][p]While the Thunder are the reigning NBA champions, the Spurs have not reached the play-offs since 2019.[/p][embed guid="32f51d63-3abe-4e75-830d-609136c0c8c9" url="https://x.com/spurs/status/2039563067512553850?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Wembanyama laughed off the suggestion that a lack of experience would hurt them this spring.[/p][p][b]"We don't have experience, right? Screw it," [/b]he told [i]ESPN[/i].[/p][p][b]"We're not going to play any different way just because... it is this way.[/b][/p][p][b]"We're still going to play 100% to try to win this championship."[/b][/p][p]The Spurs led throughout Wednesday's game in San Francisco, taking a commanding 70-49 half-time lead as Wemby managed a stunning 27 points and 13 rebounds in a first-half double-double.[/p][p]San Antonio eased off slightly in the second half but never lost their double-digit lead against a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/golden-state-warriors/SxUtXqch/"]Warriors[/a] side lacking key players, including [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/curry-stephen/xx3787qL/"]Stephen Curry[/a].[/p][p]Superstar Curry has not played since January, but was seen on court pre-game Wednesday, raising hopes he can return as the Warriors face the long route to the play-offs via the play-ins.[/p][h2]Play-off race hots up[/h2][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/boston-celtics/KYD9hVEm/"]Boston Celtics[/a] tightened their grip on the second seed in the East and put a little pressure on the conference-leading [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/detroit-pistons/UcjMRj6J/"]Detroit Pistons[/a], with a breezy [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/boston-celtics-KYD9hVEm/miami-heat-CQ7AXnT5/?mid=25hwo2sI"]147-129 win[/a] over play-off hopefuls [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/miami-heat/CQ7AXnT5/"]Miami Heat[/a].[/p][p][b]The Celtics got off to a blistering start, scoring 53 points in the first quarter - the joint second-most in NBA history - as star duo [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brown-jaylen/l88NjhUb/"]Jaylen Brown[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tatum-jayson/t4Y4e7r0/"]Jayson Tatum[/a] dominated the night.[/b][/p][p]Brown scored a whopping 43 points in total while Tatum ended with a triple-double (25 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists).[/p][p]The Celtics have been revitalised since Tatum's return from a 10-month Achilles injury last month, and having the pair together on the court appears to pose a formidable post-season threat.[/p][p][b]"Obviously a hell of a two-way player... he had a hot start, and he just kept it going," [/b]Tatum said of Brown after the game.[/p][embed guid="a6bfdd81-fe6e-4d1f-801b-e9dd35c8bba7" url="https://x.com/celtics/status/2039524141330464808?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]With the loss, Miami sink to 10th, but remain just 2.5 games back from sixth - and a guaranteed post-season spot - in the remarkably tight Eastern conference play-off race.[/p][p]The door had been left ajar as the sixth-placed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-raptors/CxtbCMdU/"]Toronto Raptors[/a] fell [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/sacramento-kings-CvwE1OCB/toronto-raptors-CxtbCMdU/?mid=SIrflSMa"]123-115[/a] to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sacramento-kings/CvwE1OCB/"]Sacramento Kings[/a].[/p][p]They were leapfrogged by the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/philadelphia-76ers/vwRW2QSh/"]Philadelphia 76ers[/a], who eased past the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/washington-wizards/W6vGWPsn/"]Washington Wizards[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/philadelphia-76ers-vwRW2QSh/washington-wizards-W6vGWPsn/?mid=UifVnOC5"]153-131[/a], with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/george-paul/KOvfaZVQ/"]Paul George[/a] pouring in 39 points.[/p][p][b]But the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/orlando-magic/QZMS36Dn/"]Orlando Magic[/a] saw their play-off hopes dented by the red-hot [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atlanta-hawks/xAO4gBas/"]Atlanta Hawks[/a], who secured a 17th win in 19 games with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/atlanta-hawks-xAO4gBas/orlando-magic-QZMS36Dn/?mid=bXonqtCU"]130-101 victory[/a] that shores up their own berth.[/b][/p][p]The third-placed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-knicks/WCNO4nbt/"]New York Knicks[/a] got back to winning ways with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/memphis-grizzlies-U1I5YSDa/new-york-knicks-WCNO4nbt/?mid=rRIXA0P7"]130-119 victory[/a] over the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/memphis-grizzlies/U1I5YSDa/"]Memphis Grizzlies[/a].[/p][p]And back in the West, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/houston-rockets/Sr9PQALP/"]Houston Rockets[/a] all but assured themselves of play-off basketball. They beat the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/milwaukee-bucks/QTBEW6rC/"]Milwaukee Bucks[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/houston-rockets-Sr9PQALP/milwaukee-bucks-QTBEW6rC/?mid=fgU31NRb"]119-113[/a] to sit five wins clear of the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/phoenix-suns/M1Gy2pra/"]Phoenix Suns[/a], who have six remaining games.[/p]