The Milwaukee Bucks, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 44 factors and 14 rebounds, held off the San Antonio Spurs 125-121 on Thursday regardless of one other stellar efficiency from Victor Wembanyama on his twentieth birthday.

Wembanyama, restricted to 26 minutes on the ground as he recovers from ankle bother, scored 27 factors with 9 rebounds and 5 blocked photographs.

Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 34 factors, however the highlight-reel battle between Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama stole the present in San Antonio.

It was the French rookie’s first assembly with the Greek famous person after Wembanyama’s sprained ankle compelled him to overlook a December recreation in Milwaukee.

“He’s unbelievable, unbelievable expertise,” Antetokounmpo said of Wembanyama, who thrilled San Antonio fans in the first half by jamming home a dunk off his own bounce off the backboard.

“He can score at will, anytime he wants. Plays the right way, plays to win. It was good playing against him,” added Antetokounmpo after the Bucks snapped a two-game skid to enhance to 25-10, the third finest document within the league.

The entertaining contest was tied 93-93 heading right into a fourth quarter that featured eight lead modifications, the Spurs battling for the upset in a season that has seen them win simply 5 video games.

For Wembanyama it was additionally an opportunity to check himself in opposition to a participant he “grew up watching” in Antetokounmpo — a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player who led the Bucks to the NBA title in 2021.

“It’s always extra motivation,” Wembanyama stated. “I need to go at everybody and be the dangerous man on the courtroom. So it was an ideal match-up.”

Antetokounmpo drained a three-pointer to tie it up at 118-118 with three minutes to play. He then drew a charge call on Wembanyama and less than a minute later drilled another three-pointer to put the Bucks up 121-118.

Wembanyama answered with a big block of a Damian Lillard layup and a three-pointer that tied it with 1:09 remaining.

A dunk from Antetokounmpo put the Bucks back in front, but Wembanyama blocked another shot from a driving Antetokounmpo to keep the Spurs within reach.

A heavily guarded Wembanyama found open teammate Tre Jones for a potential game-tying three-pointer with just over a second to play, but Jones’s shot didn’t fall.

“Of course the outcome isn’t what we wanted, but it was the widest open shot,” Wembanyama stated, including that the Spurs’ total efficiency was encouraging.

“Just the truth that we will compete with a championship degree crew like that is promising,” he stated.