03/23/26 10:07:00
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03/23 22:06 CDT Wembanyama scores 26, red-hot Spurs roll past sliding Heat
136-111 and clinch Southwest Division
Wembanyama scores 26, red-hot Spurs roll past sliding Heat 136-111 and clinch
Southwest Division
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
MIAMI (AP) --- Victor Wembanyama finished with 26 points, 15 rebounds and five
blocked shots, and the San Antonio Spurs rolled past the sliding Miami Heat
136-111 on Monday night for their sixth consecutive victory.
San Antonio's victory, coupled with Houston's 132-124 loss to Chicago, allowed
the Spurs to clinch the Southwest Division.
Keldon Johnson and Dylan Harper each scored 21 off the bench for the Spurs, who
are an NBA-best 22-2 since the start of February. They led by as many as 30,
the biggest margin any visiting team has enjoyed in Miami so far this season.
Stephon Castle scored 19 for the Spurs. San Antonio (54-18) remained three
games back of Oklahoma City (57-15) in the race for the NBA's best overall
record and No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The Thunder beat Philadelphia
on Monday for their 12th consecutive win.
Norman Powell scored 21 off the bench to lead the Heat, who remain stuck in the
quagmire that is the Eastern Conference's play-in race and have lost five
consecutive games.
Philadelphia (39-33) is seventh and a game up on Miami, while Orlando (38-33
after a loss to Indiana on Monday) is eighth and a half-game ahead of the Heat
(38-34). And No. 10 Charlotte (37-34) is now only a half-game behind Miami.
Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro each scored 18 for Miami, which has dropped five
straight. The Heat allowed 76 points in the first half and rested their
starters in the fourth quarter.
Wembanyama was 11 for 22 from the field for the Spurs. It was the fourth time
this season that he finished a game with at least 26 points, 15 rebounds and
five blocks; the rest of the league has one such game, combined --- that from
Zach Edey in November.
Up next
Spurs: Visit Memphis on Wednesday.
Heat: Visit Cleveland on Wednesday.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
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