Wembanyama Drops 39 to Match Kareem, Shaq, and Hakeem in Playoff History

Wembanyama Enters the Chat With Olajuwon, Shaq, and Kareem The San Antonio Spurs are officially a problem, and Victor Wembanyama is the reason why. Last night, the 22-year-old phenom dropped a playoff career-high 39 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and swatted 5 shots to lead the Spurs to a 115-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. San Antonio now holds a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals. If those numbers sound ridiculous, it's because they are. Wembanyama became just the fourth player in NBA playoff history to record at least 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a single game. The other three? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Shaquille O'Neal. And Wemby did it while shooting over 70% from the floor (13-for-18). "I'm built for this. I love this more than anything else," Wembanyama said after the game. Yeah, no kidding. The Fourth Quarter Takeover With the game tight heading into the final frame, Wembanyama took over completely. He scored 16 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter alone, including two clutch three-pointers that sealed the deal for San Antonio. The Timberwolves had no answer for his combination of length, skill, and sheer will. De'Aaron Fox added 17 points, while Stephon Castle contributed 13 points and 12 assists with a team-high plus-17 rating. On the other side, Anthony Edwards was brilliant with 32 points and 14 rebounds, but it simply wasn't enough against Wembanyama's dominance. Betting Impact: Spurs vs. Timberwolves Game 4 The Timberwolves got Anthony Edwards back to form, but they still couldn't overcome the sheer force of Wembanyama in the fourth quarter. Now, heading into Game 4 on Sunday, the betting lines are reflecting the shift in momentum. Despite being on the road, the Spurs are listed as 4.5-point favorites across most books for Game 4, with the over/under hovering around 216.5. If you've been betting the unders in this series, the trends are interesting. Game 3 hit the over (223 total points), but Minnesota has a strong history of unders at home. With the Spurs' defense anchored by Wemby's historic rim protection, the under 216.5 looks like a solid play for Game 4. Series Odds Update The Pistons (-400) and Knicks (-1000) are heavy favorites in their respective series, but the Spurs are emerging as the team nobody wants to face out West. With Wembanyama playing like this in his first-ever playoff run, San Antonio's championship odds are only going to keep shortening. --- Related reading: - NBA Playoff Recap: Spurs Crush Wolves by 38, Knicks Take 2-0 Lead, Plus Cavs-Pistons Game 2 Preview - Wembanyama Sets NBA Playoff Record With 12 Blocks — But the Spurs Still Lost - NBA Semis Game 1 Recap: Pistons Smother Cavs, Thunder Crush Lakers as Top Seeds Dominate