Victor Wembanyama outduels Kevin Durant as Spurs make another early-season statement – The Athletic
When Victor Wembanyama entered the NBA, he was described as a Kevin Durant clone offensively … who just happened to be 7-foot-4.
In Friday night’s NBA Cup game between Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs and Durant’s Houston Rockets, the two unicorns traded signature moments while battling each other on the national stage. In what turned into a 121-110 Spurs win, Wembanyama and guard Stephon Castle, along with a barrage of timely 3-pointers from forward Harrison Barnes, carried San Antonio past Houston in the fourth quarter.
Wembanyama dominated on both ends of the floor in the final frame. He and Castle consistently made plays when Houston threatened to get all the way back on the scoreboard.
“I don’t think it’s some epiphany or anything,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of Wembanyama’s play down the stretch of the game. “I think he slowed down and allowed the reads to unfold. When he gets the ball and we space properly, teams have to decide to guard him one-on-one to bring multiple bodies. There’s no secret. So when he does that, because he is so cerebral, he’s able to make reads and we get really, really competent, quality possessions.”
It was an important win for the Spurs, who moved to 6-2 overall and 1-0 in NBA Cup action. More than that, it was another statement for the Spurs in what has been a breakthrough regular season for them thus far.
After struggling in the first half, Wembanyama made a play over the man he’s long admired that he won’t soon forget. Taking a pass from teammate Devin Vassell, Wembanyama caught Durant rotating slowly, dunking over the veteran superstar with two hands to ignite the San Antonio crowd in the third quarter.
VICTOR. WEMBANYAMA. POSTER. 👽👽👽
🏆 HOU-SAS • West Group C
📺 @emirates NBA Cup on Prime: https://t.co/oVMFjA6yYb pic.twitter.com/DXoGbeYDgx
— NBA (@NBA) November 8, 2025
KD got his protégé back a few possessions later. On a third-quarter drive, Durant split a pick-and-roll, surged down the middle of the lane past Wembanyama and uncorked a big dunk.
KD DOWN THE LANE 💥 pic.twitter.com/yMWR7t1x62
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) November 8, 2025
Which one is better? On the one hand, Wembanyama’s dunk over Durant was actually over Durant, whereas Durant’s dunk was more in space with Wemby nearby. On the other hand, Durant is 37, and guys who are 37 years old shouldn’t be able to move like the 6-foot-11 Durant does.
Wenbanyama ended up with 22 points, to go along with eight rebounds and four assists. He also blocked two shots. Durant finished with 24 points, but also committed eight turnovers and only scored four points in the fourth quarter.
While the fourth quarter was played closer than the final score would turn out to be, the Rockets were largely undone by their inability to come up with timely defensive rebounds. And when the Spurs secured the important offensive rebounds, they turned them into dagger 3-pointers that ultimately kept Houston at arm’s length.
“They were the tougher team,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “They kind of punked us out there and outhustled us.”
For neutral viewers, it was cool to see the future of the NBA meet its present and past in such a forceful manner. One of the advantages of players like Durant, LeBron James and Steph Curry remaining top-10-level stars for so long is that the NBA has had an easier bridge for its faces of the league than almost ever before.
— Jared Weiss and William Guillory contributed reporting.
