Wembanyama has 40 points, 8 blocks as Spurs win 9th straight with 122-96 victory over Suns

PHOENIX (AP) — Victor Wembanyama scored 40 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked eight shots in another dominant performance to help the San Antonio Spurs beat the Phoenix Suns 122-96 on Monday night. The Spurs have now won nine straight games after dropping their first two contests of the season. The Suns had no answer for the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama, who controlled the game at both ends of the floor, particularly during the first half. The two-time All-Star had 22 points, six rebounds and five blocks before the break as the Spurs used a 21-2 run to take a 61-46 halftime advantage. Dylan Harper scored 14 of his 17 points in the third quarter to help the Spurs extend their lead 93-68, which allowed the starters to sit for much of the fourth. Wembanyama finished 15 of 19 from the floor, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc and needed just 25 minutes on the floor to do his damage. De'Aaron Fox added 15 points while Julian Champagnie and Harrison Barnes both had 11. It's the second time in four games that Wembanyama has had a massive stat line during an MVP-worthy run to start the regular season. He had career highs of 52 points and 24 rebounds in a 112-111 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday and might have approached those numbers against the Suns if he had played more. Devin Booker led the Suns with 32 points on 10 of 17 shooting. Khaman Maluach was the only other player who scored in double figures with 11 points. The Suns shot just 39.3% from the field and were outrebounded 55-35. They have a 2-2 record on their current seven-game homestand. Up next Spurs: At Chicago on Wednesday night. Suns: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night. ___ See AP’s full NBA coverage here