Back in the Starting Five, Victor Wembanyama Scores 32 Points but San Antonio Falls to Utah

NBA - Back in the starting lineup, Victor Wembanyama delivered a spectacular performance with 32 points and several memorable dunks, but the San Antonio Spurs fell to the Utah Jazz (127-114) despite the Frenchman's return to the starting five.

By@Sylvain Sultat

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Back in the Starting Five, Victor Wembanyama Scores 32 Points but San Antonio Falls to Utah

Photo Credit : © Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Victor Wembanyama thrilled the Texas crowd with a high-flying offensive showcase, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a surprising defeat for the San Antonio Spurs against the Utah Jazz (127-114). Back in the starting lineup after playing as sixth man since returning from injury, the French star compiled 32 points in just 27 minutes, along with 7 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 3 assists.

Wembanyama delivered several spectacular dunks, including alley-oops finished off passes from Dylan Harper. One of these dunks particularly stood out and ranks among the best of his career. The French center also threw down a massive left-handed dunk just before halftime and destroyed the rim on his very first action of the game.

THAT MAN HAS A FUCKING FAMILY VICTOR OMGGGG https://t.co/dBqwoY2Vpt pic.twitter.com/DNr63ZGox6

— Bala (@BalaPattySZN) December 28, 2025

Three-Point Shooting Proves Fatal for Spurs

Despite Wembanyama’s individual performance (12/21 shooting, 0/4 from three-point range, 8/8 from free throws), the Spurs fell victim to the Jazz’s hot three-point shooting. Utah converted 17 of 37 long-distance attempts (46%), a statistic that made the difference in this matchup.

Mitch Johnson’s team couldn’t keep pace with a poor 10/44 from three-point range. Only Keldon Johnson found his range with 27 points and an excellent 5/7 from deep. The tandem of Lauri Markkanen (29 points on 11/16 shooting) and Keyonte George (28 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists) led the offensive charge for Utah.

The fourth quarter offered a spirited comeback attempt from the Spurs, with Wembanyama bringing his team within one possession by dunking over Markkanen. Stephon Castle even tied the game (106-106), but the Jazz responded and ultimately pulled away for a convincing victory.

This defeat ends a five-game winning streak for San Antonio, second in the overall standings. For Utah, this victory represents a double achievement after beating the Pistons the previous night, thus taking down the 2nd and 3rd best records in the entire NBA within 24 hours.

Sylvain Sultat

Sylvain Sultat suit la NBA au quotidien, entre performances individuelles, dynamiques collectives et grandes histoires de la ligue. Sur BeBasket, il décrypte l’actualité américaine avec passion et régularité, toujours à l’affût des tendances qui font bouger le monde du basket.