San Antonio's nine-game winning streak heads to Chicago on Wednesday with a rather uncomfortable question for the Bulls: how do you stop Victor Wembanyama when even a good individual scoring night at the other end isn't enough to keep a game close? The Spurs' 122–96 win in Phoenix on Monday was their ninth straight, and Wembanyama supplied 40 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocks in just 25 minutes. Chicago's next assignment is about far more than guarding one scorer. It's about finding a way to finish possessions against a team that can dominate both ends of the paint.
The Phoenix result showed why. Wembanyama made 15 of his 19 field-goal attempts, while San Antonio won the rebounding contest 55–35. Devin Booker scored 32 for the Suns, but Phoenix shot only 39.3 per cent overall and couldn't find enough offence elsewhere. The official Spurs game record confirms the 122–96 final, and the game report details the French centre's extraordinary production.
The Bulls' first challenge is shot selection. Driving straight into Wembanyama's reach without drawing him away from the basket risks turning a normal paint touch into a blocked shot or a rushed kick-out. Chicago needs its ball-handlers to change the angle of attack, make San Antonio defend a second action and create passing lanes before the defence can settle. That doesn't mean abandoning the rim. It means making the Spurs work before anyone tries to finish there.
The second challenge is the glass. Phoenix's 20-rebound deficit wasn't merely a footnote to Wembanyama's scoring. Extra possessions give San Antonio repeated opportunities to exploit its size, while defensive rebounds let its guards attack before opponents can set their matchups. Chicago can't afford to defend a possession well for 20 seconds and then surrender a put-back or a second three-point opportunity. Boxing out the Spurs' other forwards matters just as much as locating Wembanyama.
San Antonio has other ways to hurt a defence, too. Rookie Dylan Harper scored 17 in Phoenix, including 14 in the third quarter, while De'Aaron Fox added 15 points. Harper's burst helped turn a competitive first half into a comfortable win. For Chicago, loading every defender towards Wembanyama creates a different problem if Fox gets downhill or Harper finds space against a rotating defence. The Bulls need disciplined help, not a constant crowd around the biggest player on the floor.
There's a tactical opportunity for Chicago in making Wembanyama defend away from the basket. Quick reversals, screening actions and purposeful movement can force San Antonio to choose between protecting the rim and conceding a clean perimeter look. The Bulls' best possessions should make that choice difficult. Settling for the first contested jumper, on the other hand, would play directly into the Spurs' preferred rhythm.
The Wednesday NBA schedule lists San Antonio at Chicago, with the Spurs looking to extend a run that has taken them to 9–2 after an 0–2 start. The key for the home side isn't matching Wembanyama's highlight reel. It's keeping him from controlling every phase of the same possession: contesting the first shot, collecting the rebound and then becoming the focal point at the other end. If Chicago can force San Antonio into longer, less comfortable offensive sequences, it'll give itself a genuine contest. If not, the Spurs have already shown how quickly a manageable deficit can become a rout.
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