Wembanyama scores 26, red-hot Spurs roll past sliding Heat 136-111 and clinch Southwest Division

News > Sports News

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks over Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Miami Heat's Davion Mitchell, left, grabs a rebound over San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) — San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks over Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Audio By Carbonatix

8:46 PM on Monday, March 23

By TIM REYNOLDS

MIAMI (AP) — Victor Wembanyama finished with 26 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots, and the San Antonio Spurs rolled past the sliding Miami Heat 136-111 on Monday night for their sixth consecutive victory.

San Antonio's victory, coupled with Houston's 132-124 loss to Chicago, allowed the Spurs to clinch the Southwest Division.

Keldon Johnson and Dylan Harper each scored 21 off the bench for the Spurs, who are an NBA-best 22-2 since the start of February. They led by as many as 30, the biggest margin any visiting team has enjoyed in Miami so far this season.

Stephon Castle scored 19 for the Spurs. San Antonio (54-18) remained three games back of Oklahoma City (57-15) in the race for the NBA's best overall record and No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The Thunder beat Philadelphia on Monday for their 12th consecutive win.

Norman Powell scored 21 off the bench to lead the Heat, who remain stuck in the quagmire that is the Eastern Conference’s play-in race and have lost five consecutive games.

Philadelphia (39-33) is seventh and a game up on Miami, while Orlando (38-33 after a loss to Indiana on Monday) is eighth and a half-game ahead of the Heat (38-34). And No. 10 Charlotte (37-34) is now only a half-game behind Miami.

Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro each scored 18 for Miami, which has dropped five straight. The Heat allowed 76 points in the first half and rested their starters in the fourth quarter.

Wembanyama was 11 for 22 from the field for the Spurs. It was the fourth time this season that he finished a game with at least 26 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks; the rest of the league has one such game, combined — that from Zach Edey in November.

Up next

Spurs: Visit Memphis on Wednesday.

Heat: Visit Cleveland on Wednesday.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba