Victor Wembanyama powered the relentless San Antonio Spurs to a 10th straight win Wednesday with his second consecutive 41-point game, brushing aside the Golden State Warriors 127-113.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Two days after the French star scored the fastest double-double in NBA history, Wembanyama also grabbed 18 rebounds in a wire-to-wire victory.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
San Antonio have emerged as genuine NBA title contenders in the second half of the season, winning 26 of their past 28 games.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
They sit second in the Western conference, just two wins behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, with six regular-season games remaining in the battle for top seed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The two Western giants are the favorites to win this year's NBA championship, with the playoffs beginning in mid-April.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
While the Thunder are the reigning NBA champions, the Spurs have not reached the playoffs since 2019.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Wembanyama laughed off the suggestion that a lack of experience would hurt them this spring.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We don't have experience, right? Screw it," he told ESPN.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We're not going to play any different way just because... it is this way.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We're still going to play 100 percent to go to try to win this championship."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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>\r\n\r\n
San Antonio eased off slightly in the second half but never lost their double-digit lead against a Warriors side lacking key players including Stephen Curry.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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 playoffs via the play-ins.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
- Playoff race hots up -<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Boston Celtics tightened their grip on second seed in the East, and put a little pressure on the conference-leading Detroit Pistons, with a breezy 147-129 win over playoff hopefuls Miami Heat.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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 Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum dominated the night.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Brown scored a whopping 43 points in total while Tatum ended with a triple-double (25 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists).<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Celtics have been revitalized 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>\r\n\r\n
"Obviously a hell of a two-way player... he had a hot start, and he just kept it going," Tatum said of Brown after the game.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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 playoff race.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The door had been left ajar as the sixth-placed Toronto Raptors fell 123-115 to the Sacramento Kings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
They were leap-frogged by the Philadelphia 76ers, who eased past the Washington Wizards 153-131, with Paul George pouring in 39 points.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But the Orlando Magic saw their playoff hopes dented by the red-hot Atlanta Hawks, who secured a 17th win in 19 games with a 130-101 victory that shores up their own berth.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The third-placed New York Knicks got back to winning ways with a 130-119 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.<\/p>\r\n\r\n