NBA: Victor Wembanyama inspires San Antonio Spurs to victory against Indiana Pacers in Paris
Victor Wembanyama led the San Antonio Spurs to a 140-110 victory over the Indiana Pacers at Accor Arena in Paris.
In the first of two NBA regular season games in Paris this week, the Spurs scored a game-high 30 points thanks to the outstanding performance of French player Wemban Yama.
The 21-year-old Wembanyama played for Paris Metropolitan 92 before being selected by the Spurs with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
It’s the first time he’s competing in his home country since winning silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This is the fourth year that the NBA has held its regular season in Paris. Cleveland Cavaliers beat Brooklyn Nets 2024.
As is often the case when the NBA plays road games in Europe, a number of big names were in attendance, including injured Manchester City midfielder Rodri, Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembele and Presnel Kimpembe and the Barcelona trio Pedri. Ferran Torres and Eric Garcia.
Former French international footballers Robert Pires, Djibril Cisse and UFC fighter Cyril Gane were also in attendance, along with former French Prime Ministers Gabriel Attal and Lionel Jospin.
The Spurs are underdogs in this contest after losing six of eight games in 2025, while the Pacers have won eight of nine since the start of the year.
However, returning home made a huge difference, with Wembanyama producing his highest-scoring performance in eight games.
The Spurs’ Devin Vassell also scored 25 points and Harrison Barnes also scored 20 points, ending a three-game losing streak.
The Spurs, 12th in the Western Conference, and the Pacers, fifth in the Eastern Conference, will meet again on Saturday (17:00 GMT) at Accor Arena.
