Spurs vs Bulls Final: Wembanyama's 32 Lead San Antonio Back From 22 Down, 124-119 in Chicago

CHICAGO — For one half on Wednesday night, the one-win Chicago Bulls were beating the hottest team in Texas by 22 points. The second half explained the standings. The San Antonio Spurs erased a 64-42 deficit to beat the Bulls 124-119 at the United Center, their 10th consecutive victory, the Associated Press reported.

Victor Wembanyama led the comeback with 32 points, nine rebounds and five blocks — 17 of his points after halftime — two days after his 40-point game in Phoenix closed the front end of what became a 4-0 road trip. Dylan Harper added 18 points, 10 assists and four steals, and De'Aaron Fox had 17 points and nine assists. San Antonio opened the third quarter with an 18-3 run, enabled by five Chicago turnovers, and took control for good with an 11-2 run in the fourth.

Chicago's first half was its best of the season: 41 points in the first quarter, a 10-for-12 start from 3-point range and 66% shooting on the way to that 22-point lead, the Bulls' biggest of the year. Jalen Smith tied his career high with 23 points and Nic Claxton scored 17 off the bench, but the Bulls lost their eighth straight to fall to 1-9 and 0-4 at home. First-round pick Caleb Wilson scored 15 points in 15 minutes before leaving in the third quarter with a right hand injury; Norman Powell missed his second straight game with back spasms, while San Antonio's Devin Vassell sat out his second in a row with adductor tightness.

The win makes San Antonio just the second team in NBA history to win 10 or more straight games immediately after an 0-2 start, joining the 2017-18 Boston Celtics, who ran theirs to 16-2. The Spurs host Golden State on Friday night; the Bulls host Atlanta. For North Texas, Friday is also the measuring-stick night: the Mavericks, idle Wednesday, play at Minnesota on Thursday before this same Spurs streak becomes the standard every Southwest Division chase is judged against.