Victor Wembanyama had a career-high 50 points and the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a 139-130 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.

Wembanyama was 8 for 16 on 3-pointers, also setting a career high, as San Antonio won its second straight.

Jordan Poole had 42 points for Washington, which lost its sixth straight.

At 20 years 314 days, Wembanyama is the fourth-youngest player to score 50 points, trailing only Brandon Jennings (20/52), LeBron James (20/80) and Devin Booker (20/145).

Wembanyama’s previous high was 49 points in a 130-126 overtime victory over New York.

Wembanyama made at least six 3-pointers for the third straight game.

Devin Vassell had 17 points in his third game for the Spurs since returning from offseason surgery to repair a fractured right foot.

Takeaways

Wizards: Alexandre Sarr blocked Wembanya’s shot in the second quarter and dunked on his fellow Frenchman in the third quarter. Sarr finished with 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and a block in 25 minutes.

Spurs: Wembanyama is the eighth player in franchise history to score 50 points. David Robinson holds the franchise record with 71 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 24, 1994.

Key moment

Stuck at 48 points, Wembanyama made an 18-foot jumper for his 49th and 50th points with 8:49 remaining to give San Antonio a 115-98 lead.

Key stat

Wembanyama is the first player in league history with 20 3-pointers and 25 blocks over a six-game span.

Up next

The Spurs host Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night in the final game of a five-game homestand. The are at Atlanta on Friday night to close a five-game trip.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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One of Southgate’s other big qualities was an ability to foster a fierce sense of unity in England’s squad, not something that will be helped by suggestions from the captain that some may be more interested in club than country.

A sub-plot is also clear. Would some of those players not here in Athens have been more minded to report had this been Tuchel’s first game in charge as opposed to the dying embers of the Carsley interim regime?

It also adds to the sense that the games in Greece on Thursday and against the Republic Of Ireland on Sunday do not carry meaning. Tuchel’s willingness to simply take a watching brief from elsewhere only adds fuel to that fire.

There is some significance to the results, though.

If England beat Greece and then finish top of their Uefa Nations League group, Tuchel’s opening matches in March will be either World Cup qualifiers or friendlies, depending on the size of their qualifying group. If they finish second, England will instead face a two-leg play-off and a potential return to the top tier of the Uefa Nations League.

When Tuchel takes charge, three months will have passed since he signed his deal with the FA. No concrete reason has been offered as to why he starts on 1 January. It is a tidy date to start, but it looks like time wasted.

Is this a feeling also shared by some England players? Kane’s interview will do nothing to make that suspicion go away.

The environment around England’s last camp – when they lost to Greece at Wembley before beating Finland in Helsinki – was chaotic and unsatisfactory, with mixed messaging from Carsley when he appeared to question his own credentials for the job, then insisted he was not ruling himself out of the running only for the FA to reveal at Tuchel’s Wembley unveiling that he had signed on the dotted line two days before the debacle against the side they face in Athens on Wednesday.

The FA and Tuchel may simply believe a start on 1 January, the first day of 2025, represents the new era, a fresh start.

Kane’s pointed words, and recent England camps, heighten the feeling that one is very badly needed.

The Chicago Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron after nine games in the wake of the team’s three-game losing streak, during which the Bears’ offense and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has struggled mightily. 

Why didn’t it work out in Chicago for Waldron? Wide receiver Keenan Allen has a theory.

“I would say just probably he was too nice of a guy,” Allen said about why Waldron didn’t last with the Bears on Wednesday, according to the Chicago Tribune. “I think during OTAs, training camp, he kind of fell into a trap of letting things go, not holding people accountable. Obviously, those things lead to a slippery slope.”

Following a 19-3 loss at home to the New England Patriots last week, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said that he was “looking at everything.” On Tuesday, Waldron was fired, with Eberflus naming passing game coordinator Thomas Brown as interim offensive coordinator.

Waldron was previously the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks from 2021-23. He was hired by the Bears last offseason to replace offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who Chicago fired after two seasons and was then dismissed as offensive coordinator by the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this month.

“I take full accountability for that,” Eberflus said Wednesday, a day after the Bears announced Waldron’s departure. “I take full responsibility for that, and it’s got to get better. It’s gotta get better. The details of creativity have to improve and it’s got to improve this week.”

How should the Bears navigate Caleb’s struggles as a rookie quarterback?

Allen, a six-time Pro Bowler who’s in his first season with the Bears, has totaled 26 receptions for 241 yards and two touchdowns in seven games; he missed two games due to a heel injury. Allen has logged no more than five receptions and no more than 44 receiving yards in a single game this season.

Chicago’s offense is averaging just 169.6 passing yards (30th in the NFL), 108.1 rushing yards (24th), 277.7 total yards (30th) and 19.4 points (24th) per game. Last season, Seattle averaged 230.0 passing yards (14th), 92.9 rushing yards (28th), 322.9 total yards (21st) and 21.4 points (17th) per game under Waldron.

The development of Bears quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams has come under fire, as the signal-caller has thrown for just 1,785 yards and nine touchdowns, boasts an 81.0 passer rating and has completed just 60.5% of his passes; he has rushed for 236 yards. 

Furthermore, a recent report detailed that a handful of Bears players wanted Williams to be benched for second-year quarterback Tyson Bagent.

“I took a few sacks that I shouldn’t have,” Williams said after being sacked nine times by the Patriots on Sunday. ‘I think that getting back to getting the ball out of my hands, being decisive is really important. That needs to start now.”

Bears veterans reportedly wanted Caleb Williams benched before Shane Waldron’s firing

The Bears were on the verge of improving to 5-2 before the Washington Commanders executed a 52-yard, walk-off Hail Mary to rip their hearts out. Chicago has since lost to the Arizona Cardinals and Patriots, falling to 4-5 and last place in the NFC North.

Allen and the Bears host the NFC North rival Green Bay Packers (6-3) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Manchester United and Arsenal in battle to sign Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane, Liverpool some way off with Mohamed Salah contract, La Liga giants interested in Nottingham Forest defender Murillo.

Manchester United and Arsenal are battling to sign former Manchester City winger Leroy Sane from Bayern Munich, with the 28-year-old Germany international out of contract next summer. (Bild – in German, subscription required), external

Liverpool remain in talks with 32-year-old Egypt forward Mohamed Salah over a potential new contract but the parties are currently far apart on any deal. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Arsenal are monitoring Real Sociedad and Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi’s situation, in the belief they can prove the most viable destination for the 25-year-old. (Independent), external

Barcelona and Real Madrid are keeping an eye on Nottingham Forest’s Brazilian centre-back Murillo, 22. (Sport in Spanish), external

Manchester United are keen on Bournemouth’s 21-year-old Hungary left-back Milos Kerkez. (Football Transfers), external

Liverpool are considering a move for in-form PSV Eindhoven striker Ricardo Pepi, with the 21-year-old United States international also on the radar of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid. (Caughtoffside), external

Manchester United are considering a January transfer move for Dinamo Zagreb and Croatia midfielder Martin Baturina, 21, who has also been watched by Barcelona and Atletico. (Teamtalk), external

West Ham are looking at Botafogo and Brazil forward Igor Jesus, 23, as an option to strengthen their attacking options. (Football Insider), external

Newcastle United chiefs remain relaxed over Sweden striker Alexander Isak’s contract status, despite fresh claims the 25-year-old is unsettled at the club. (Newcastle Chronicle), external