Victor Wembanya returns to Paris, scores 30 points, Spurs beat Pacers 140-110

Victor Wembanyama returned to Paris in style on Thursday.

The San Antonio Spurs star, who grew up outside Paris and played five years in the French Basketball League, returned to his home country this week for a game against the Indiana Pacers. With the unwavering support of Paris fans, Wembanyama led the Spurs to a 140-110 victory over the Pacers at the AccorHotels Arena.

The 21-year-old center received a warm welcome from the French fans.

Wembanyama did not disappoint and put in a fine performance for his return, delivering a series of key performances as Spurs kept chasing the score.

After trailing the Pacers for much of the first half, the Spurs took the lead before halftime. From that point on, the Spurs took off, scoring 45 points in the third quarter alone. An overwhelmed Indiana team could not overcome the deficit and ultimately fell apart in a 30-point victory.

With the game sealed, Wembanyama and the rest of the starting lineup returned to the bench for the final minutes of the game. As the 21-year-old took his seat, chants of “MVP” echoed throughout the arena.

Wembanyama notched an impressive 30-point double-double, finishing with 30 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks.

San Antonio veteran guard Chris Paul praised Wembanya's postgame performance, noting his success under pressure.

“This was one of the most complete games I've seen all season,” Paul said. “With the expectations, at home, in front of all his family and friends, in front of all of you guys, some guys might get lost in the game and maybe do too much or not at first, but I thought he played well in Play on both ends of the court.”

Wembanyama has been busy since returning to France. On Tuesday, the young center opened two outdoor courts in his hometown of Le Chesnay; on Wednesday, he attended the Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, which PSG won 4-2. win.

He secured a big win at home for struggling Spurs on Thursday.

In his post-match press conference, Wembanyama credited the energy of the fans as a factor in Spurs' win.

“It's a different type of support that the crowd brings. We try to use those situations to our advantage every time and tonight was an easy night to use that to our advantage,” he said.

He said he was proud to be able to “bring people together like this.”

“I'm proud of us, proud of myself, proud of being French,” Wembanyama said. “This confirms what I thought was going to happen.”

Vumbanyama and the Spurs will play another game against the Pacers in Paris on Saturday, this time as the official home team.