Spurs rout Kings 130-103 as Victor Wembanyama scores 29 and Julian Champagnie hits eight 3-pointers

The San Antonio Spurs finally gave their home crowd something to cheer about. Victor Wembanyama had 29 points and 10 rebounds, Julian Champagnie poured in 26 points on eight 3-pointers, and the Spurs routed the Sacramento Kings 130-103 on Tuesday night, Oct. 27, at Frost Bank Center.

It was San Antonio’s first home win of the season, according to the Associated Press. The Spurs evened their record at 2-2 after opening with home losses to Oklahoma City and Houston. Sacramento fell to 0-4 and is still looking for its first win.

Kings vs. Spurs: score by quarter

San Antonio set season highs for points in a quarter (39) and in a half (80), the AP reported. Its biggest lead was 28, per the NBA.com box score.

Player stats that stood out

Stats from the AP recap and Sports Illustrated.

All five San Antonio starters scored in double figures in the team’s highest-scoring game of the season.

A fast start from the opening tip

The tone was set on the first play. SI’s Inside the Kings site noted that the game opened with an easy alley-oop from former King De’Aaron Fox to Wembanyama. Devin Vassell followed with a 3-pointer, and the rout was on.

Wembanyama scored 15 points in the first quarter, including four dunks, while shooting 7 of 10, according to the AP. By the end of the night he had matched his career high with nine dunks. Vassell went 3 for 3 from deep in the opening five minutes and finished 4 of 7.

Julian Champagnie’s hot hand

Champagnie did most of his damage before halftime. He went 8 of 10 from 3-point range in the first half, per the AP. SI pointed out that he made more 3s in the first two quarters than the entire Kings team, which went 7 of 16. He didn’t make another one after the break, finishing 8 of 13.

As a team, the Spurs shot 17 of 37 from deep. That beat the 15 they made against Dallas on Oct. 24 in their only previous win.

What went wrong for Sacramento

The Kings’ problems were mostly on defense. San Antonio scored 60 points in the paint and 29 on fast breaks, and outscored Sacramento by 12 from beyond the arc, SI noted.

Bench scoring has become a concern too. The Kings got just 14 points from their reserves on Tuesday, and SI says their bench is averaging 22.3 points a game through four games. Injuries are part of the story. Keegan Murray, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell remain out, and Ben Simmons is out for the season, according to SI. Malik Monk, in his third game back, scored three points on 1-of-7 shooting but added six assists.

The bright spot was De’Andre Hunter, who led Sacramento with 24 points. SI noted that Hunter is on an expiring $24.9 million contract, so a strong stretch could raise his trade value.

What’s next

• Spurs: At the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, the second game of a back-to-back.
• Kings: At the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night. SI called that game perhaps Sacramento’s best chance at a first win before a stretch against Memphis, Dallas, the Lakers and the Spurs again.

How to watch the Spurs game tonight

The Spurs play at Utah on Wednesday night. Local TV and streaming options depend on your market, so check your regional sports network or the NBA’s official app for listings in your area.

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