Victor Wembanyama stats tonight: How did the Spurs superstar perform vs Nets following his impressive Christmas Day display? (Dec. 27)

After his standout performance on Christmas Day, Victor Wembanyama looked to carry that momentum into Friday's game as the San Antonio Spurs took on the Brooklyn Nets. However, he had a quieter outing, recording his second-lowest scoring game of the month.

In his last game, Wembanyama posted 42 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and four blocks during the Spurs’ visit to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. This time, he scored 29 points, grabbed seven rebounds, recorded four assists and blocked six shots as the Spurs came away with a 96-87 win.

Although the Nets aren’t as formidable as the Knicks, they remain a gritty team full of tough competitors. This was clear when Brooklyn outscored San Antonio 22-11 in the opening quarter, setting a new season-low for points allowed by the Nets in any quarter.

The Spurs themselves set a season-low for points in a single quarter, with their previous lowest being 15 points in the first quarter against Houston on Oct. 28.

Despite a first half that saw the Spurs shoot 5-for-26 from the field and 2-for-9 from 3-point range, they surged to win the second quarter 30-18. At halftime, the score was even at 41-41.

Wembanyama had only four points by halftime but he raised this to 15 points in the third quarter, where they established a 74-62 lead after the Spurs outscored the Nets 33-21.

A 25-22 fourth quarter from Brooklyn wasn't enough, as the Spurs secured the nine-point victory.

Below are Victor Wembanyama’s full stats.

PLAYER	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	OREB	DREB	STL	BLK	TO	PF	=+/-
Victor Wembanyama	23:42	15	3	2	6	11	54.5	3	6	50.0	0	0	0.0	0	3	0	3	2	3	6

Victor Wembanyama closes in on Top 5 of latest NBA MVP ladder

After missing two games earlier this month, Victor Wembanyama has returned strong, scoring at least 20 points in every game since. Heading into tonight’s matchup, he’s averaging 30.4 points and 9.9 rebounds on 49% shooting since his return.

His Christmas Day performance didn’t go unnoticed, as it was a highly anticipated game. It paid off with Wembanyama rising to sixth place on NBA.com’s latest MVP ladder.

Shaun Powell, who compiled the rankings, highlighted Wembanyama’s impressive feats, including two 42-point games — most recently on Christmas — and a 10-block performance in December.

However, there are still five heavyweights ahead of him: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum.

With Doncic expected to miss at least a month, if Wembanyama maintains his exceptional play, he could break into the top five for the first time this season.