Skip to main content

Wembanyama scores 28 points to lead Spurs past Rockets, 111-99

HOUSTON (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 28 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks to help the San Antonio Spurs rally for a 111-99 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

The Spurs trailed by 16 and didn’t have a lead until late in the third quarter. Wembanyama scored nine points, with five free throws, to power an 11-0 run to open the fourth quarter that put the Spurs on top 95-86 with less than eight minutes to go.

A pair of free throws by Alperen Sengun got the Rockets within five before San Antonio used a 10-4 run, with six points from Dylan Harper, to make it 107-96 with about 2 1/2 minutes to play.

Wembanyama’s big game comes after he was 5 of 21 for 14 points in a loss to Houston last week.

The victory gives the Spurs a 2-1 lead in the season series with the final game set for March 8 in San Antonio.

Amen Thompson had 25 points and Kevin Durant added 24 for the Rockets. Sengun had 18 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists.

The Spurs shot 53.7% to help them surge late on a night the Rockets shot just 39.4%. Thompson made just 11 of 23 shots and Sengun was 7 of 20.

The Rockets were up by 11 with about eight minutes left in the third quarter before the Spurs used a 16-4 run to make it 79-78 with about two minutes remaining in the quarter to take their first lead of the game. Keldon Johnson made nine points in that stretch and Harper added four points.

The game was tied after a layup by Stephon Castle late in the third before a dunk by Thompson left the Rockets up 86-84 entering the fourth.

Up Next

Spurs: At Charlotte on Saturday.

Rockets: At Atlanta on Thursday night.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Read Next Story