Wemby goes 39/15/5 — Spurs take 2-1 lead, Wemby joins Hakeem, Shaq, Kareem in playoff history

Wemby is doing things only three other people have ever done in playoff basketball — and they are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Shaquille O'Neal. Friday night in San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama dropped 39 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks on 13-of-18 shooting (3-of-5 from three) to put the Spurs up 2-1 over the Timberwolves with a 115-108 home win.

The Spurs unlocked him with one tweak: more pin-down screens designed to create catch-and-shoot looks instead of forcing him to face up out of the post. Wemby drained the threes, then went to work in the mid-range with a spin fadeaway he says he literally learned from Hakeem on a recent visit. He even hit it over Rudy Gobert, who, fair to say, has now seen everything. Stephon Castle added 21 in support.

Ant and the Wolves can still flip this — they took Game 1 in San Antonio. But Wemby is operating at a level the league has not seen from a 22-year-old since the early days of the all-time great bigs. The Spurs aren't just hanging in the West semis. They might be the team to beat.