For nearly three quarters in Chicago on Monday, Victor Wembanyama looked ordinary – well, at least for his extraordinary standards. The 7-foot-5 forward moved carefully, probing but never truly penetrating the Chicago Bulls’ defense. He came into the game on a slump, averaging just around 17 points per game over the previous three games. His scoring touch was stifled, and his rhythm was inconsistent.

And then, as if someone flipped a switch to “on”, Wembanyama turned an average performance into a reminder of what makes him a once-in-a-generation phenomenon.

In the fourth quarter, Wembanyama scored 18 of his team-high 38 points as he dissected Chicago’s defense with a series of jumpers, drives, and finishes at the rim that transformed the tone of the game. What had been sub-par showing fo

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