San Antonio is operating on another level right now
The Spurs beat the Wizards 124-113, and honestly, this game was decided before the second quarter ended. The Wizards didn't lose because they played poorly. They lost because they ran into a team that's genuinely one of the best-coached and most balanced rosters in the NBA right now. San Antonio is 21-7 and climbing, sitting second in the West. That's not accident. That's systematic excellence.
This is the Spurs' sixth consecutive win, and they're doing it with a mix that most teams can't replicate: elite young talent, experienced role players, and a coaching staff that knows exactly how to deploy both. When Victor Wembanyama can come off the bench with limited minutes (adductor management keeping him out) and still grab a double-double (14 points, 12 rebounds), you've got something special going.
Wembanyama doesn't need the volume to impact games
Here's what's crucial to understand about Wembanyama right now: he's not putting up huge minutes, and he's not putting up huge scoring totals. But he's absolutely dominating his opportunities. Watch the second quarter. He's dunking on everyone who comes near him in the paint. When Tristan Vukcevic got cute and tried to block a layup in transition, Wembanyama responded with a spin move into a dunk. That's not just athleticism—that's a guy understanding the moment and making a statement.
The Spurs are being smart with his minutes because they don't need him to be the closer right now. They have De'Aaron Fox doing that. What they need from Wembanyama is exactly what he's providing: cleaning the glass, protecting the rim, and being an offensive threat when the ball finds him in space. Twenty minutes total across the game? Perfect. He stayed fresh, made an impact, and the team won comfortably.
De'Aaron Fox is doing his job without needing to explode
Twenty-seven points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists. Fox's 3-point shooting was on point all night, and critically, he kept pushing pace. He found weak spots in the Wizards' perimeter defense and attacked downhill repeatedly. This is Fox at his best—not forcing things, not trying to be everything, just being efficient and making winning plays.
The thing about Fox is that he doesn't need to put up 40 shots to impact games. He finds rhythm early, trusts his shot, and lets the game come to him. Against a Wizards team clearly gassed from back-to-back play, Fox's pace was absolutely suffocating. Washington never got comfortable defensively.
The Spurs' depth is the real weapon
Here's where this team gets scary: they beat Washington 124-113 while multiple guys had rough shooting nights. Dylan Harper was 0-for-8. Julian Champagnie went 1-for-6. Devin Vassell was 3-for-11. Stephon Castle shot 4-for-16 but still added 11 assists. And the Spurs still won by 11 at home.
Stephon Castle had the coolest moment of the night—a windmill reverse dunk on fast break to close out the first half—but that's just flash. The real story is Luke Kornet finishing with 20 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Kelly Olynyk providing solid minutes despite getting booed by the home crowd every time he touched the ball (petty, Washington, really petty). This is a roster where multiple guys can contribute and the team doesn't miss a beat.
The Wizards tried. Carlton Carrington (21 points) and Tre Johnson (19 points) kept things respectable. But they never got closer than nine points after halftime. Washington is good enough to be in the conversation, but they're not good enough to hang with San Antonio right now. That's the gap.
The Thunder wait—and they should be worried
The Spurs are now four games back of Oklahoma City for the conference lead. They're meeting the Thunder twice this week (Tuesday and Thursday). That's the kind of schedule that separates contenders from pretenders. San Antonio is playing like a team that believes it belongs at the top. The Thunder better be ready.