Victor Wembanyama powered the San Antonio Spurs to a 10th consecutive victory on Wednesday, scoring 41 points for the second straight game in a commanding 127-113 win over the Golden State Warriors.

Just two days after recording the fastest double-double in NBA history, the French star added 18 rebounds in a dominant, wire-to-wire performance.

The Spurs have surged into strong form in the latter half of the season, winning 26 of their last 28 games and emerging as genuine contenders in the NBA title race.

They currently sit second in the Western Conference, trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder by two wins, with six regular-season games remaining as they compete for the top seed.

Both teams are considered among the favourites for this year’s NBA championship, with the playoffs set to begin in mid-April.

While the Thunder enter as the reigning NBA champions, the Spurs have not reached the playoffs since 2019.

Victor Wembanyama brushed aside suggestions that a lack of experience could hinder the San Antonio Spurs this spring.

“We don’t have experience, right? Screw it,” he told ESPN. “We’re not going to play any different way just because it is this way. We’re still going to play 100% to try to win this championship.”

The Spurs controlled Wednesday’s game in San Francisco from start to finish, building a dominant 70-49 halftime lead as Wembanyama recorded 27 points and 13 rebounds in the opening half alone.

San Antonio maintained their advantage in the second half, never allowing the Golden State Warriors to reduce the deficit to single digits. The Warriors were missing several key players, including Stephen Curry.

Curry has not featured since January, though he was present on the court before the game on Wednesday, offering optimism that he could return as the Warriors aim to secure a play-off spot through the play-in tournament.

Play-off race heats up

In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics strengthened their hold on second place and applied pressure on conference leaders Detroit Pistons with a comfortable 147-129 victory over Miami Heat.

The Celtics made a flying start, scoring 53 points in the opening quarter — the joint second-highest total in NBA history — as Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum led the charge.

Brown finished with 43 points, while Tatum recorded a triple-double of 25 points, 18 rebounds, and 11 assists.

Since Tatum’s return from a 10-month Achilles injury last month, the Celtics have rediscovered their rhythm, with the duo’s presence on the court making them a serious threat heading into the postseason.

“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.

With the defeat, Miami drop to 10th in the standings, but they remain just 2.5 games behind sixth place — the final guaranteed playoff position — in a tightly contested Eastern Conference race.

The opportunity remained open after sixth-placed Toronto Raptors suffered a 123-115 loss to the Sacramento Kings.

The Raptors were overtaken by the Philadelphia 76ers, who moved ahead with a convincing 153-131 win over the Washington Wizards, led by a 39-point performance from Paul George.

Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic’s playoff push took a setback as they were beaten 130-101 by the in-form Atlanta Hawks, who claimed their 17th win in 19 games and strengthened their own postseason position.

The third-placed New York Knicks returned to winning form with a 130-119 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

In the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets moved close to securing a playoff berth after a 119-113 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. They now sit five wins clear of the Phoenix Suns, who have six games remaining.