Michael C. WrightMar 20, 2025, 02:34 AM ET
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- Joined ESPN in 2010
- Up to now coated Bears for ESPN.com
- Performed faculty soccer at West Texas A&M
SAN ANTONIO — Bewildered and in a state of disbelief, San Antonio Spurs ahead Sandro Mamukelashvili walked back-and-forth half-dressed close to his locker Wednesday night time repeating the similar phrases after his staff’s 120-105 win over the New York Knicks.
“I do not know what f—ing came about,” Mamukelashvili mentioned. “I do not know what f—ing came about.”
With excellent good friend and rapper Taste Flav hyping a crowd of 18,521 that gleefully flooded Frost Financial institution Middle with MVP chants, Mamukelashvili made NBA historical past through scoring probably the most issues — a career-high 34 — in a sport when taking part in fewer than 20 mins since 1951-52, when mins become respectable.
“I have been looking forward to at the present time for a very long time,” Mamukelashvili mentioned. “I simply cannot give an explanation for how I believe presently. I believe like I am in a dream. I manifested and prayed for it. I simply waited for at the present time. I in point of fact had an out-of-body enjoy for a little bit bit there. I used to be like, ‘Is that this in point of fact going down?'”
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Spurs teammates made positive of it, mobbing Mamukelashvili at the ground on the ultimate buzzer. Wearing a crimson T-shirt together with his trademark clock dangling from his neck, Taste Flav made it much more actual through crashing the ahead’s on-court postgame interview to mention, “I do not care what no person says. My guy is on fiiiiiiiirrrreee!”
Sitting one locker over from Mamukelashvili mins in spite of everything the pandemonium at the court docket, teammate Jeremy Sochan requested half-jokingly whether or not “we will get Taste Flav to stick” in San Antonio for some time.
Averaging 8.9 mins for the season, Mamukelashvili did not input Wednesday’s sport till 55 seconds into the second one quarter. The 25-year-old wasted little time making his presence felt. Mamukelashvili scored his first bucket on a tip-in off a Blake Wesley omit. Then, he drilled a 27-footer off a Stephon Fortress help to offer the Spurs a seven-point lead.
He completed the quarter with 13 issues on 5-of-6 capturing, together with 3-of-3 from lengthy vary with 7 rebounds and an help as San Antonio walked off the ground at intermission main 67-43.
“13-of-14 from the sphere, 7-for-7 from 3, it will be ridiculous to mention that used to be anticipated in 19 mins and 26 seconds of alternative,” Spurs appearing trainer Mitch Johnson mentioned. “He is a in point of fact excellent shooter, and you are simply looking forward to him to have a type of video games. I feel that more than likely exceeded one of the vital considered having a type of video games. However he involves paintings each day. He is probably the most constant particular person, particularly while you communicate in regards to the position that he has. That is why you’ll be able to listen a little bit little bit of the blokes [in the locker room] and their feeling for him.”
Mamukelashvili did not play within the 3rd quarter. However within the ultimate body, he lit up the Knicks for 21 issues on 8-of-8 capturing, together with 4-of-4 from 3-point vary to move with 2 rebounds and a pair of assists.
Mamukelashvili heated up such a lot that teammate Chris Paul began calling movements down the stretch to get his teammate extra seems.
“Happily, I have performed for some time and kind of know the artwork of having guys pictures,” Paul mentioned. “Mamu is an ideal teammate. He is available in and works onerous each day, cheers guys on, at all times in a excellent temper, excellent perspective. When he is capturing the ball like that, you simply attempt to in finding the man.”
Taste Flav, who celebrated a birthday this week, used to be readily available in San Antonio to look at longtime good friend Sandro Mamukelashvili make NBA historical past Wednesday night time. Michael Gonzales/NBAE by the use of Getty Photographs
Mamukelashvili become the fourth participant in NBA historical past to shoot 90% from the sphere, 100% on 3-pointers and 100% on unfastened throws in a sport, becoming a member of Tyrese Haliburton (2022), Gary Payton (1995) and Charles Barkley. He additionally ranks because the 3rd Spur to knock down 7-of-7 or higher on 3-pointers, becoming a member of Matt Bonner (2010) and Steve Smith (2001).
The historical night time could not have come at a greater time for Mamukelashvili, who had simply flown in his father, Zurab, from New Jersey to look at Wednesday’s sport with different members of the family. Taste Flav, who celebrated his birthday on March 16, has been a pal of Mamukelashvili’s “for a very long time,” the ahead mentioned. Mamukelashvili and Taste Flav met during the latter’s monetary adviser.
Taste Flav even got here to look Mamukelashvili in 2021 at his first NBA summer time league.
“He used to be telling me, ‘I’ll pop out,'” Mamukelashvili mentioned. “He known as me and used to be like, ‘For my birthday, I am coming to San Antonio.’ So, I used to be like, ‘OK, you ain’t going to have amusing there.'”
He did, even though, because of a profession night time from his good friend.
“I am seeking to recover. I am seeking to identify myself,” Mamukelashvili mentioned. “I am seeking to display everyone that I belong. I will simply stay taking strides against that. I am in order that glad I’ve a beef up staff at the back of me: my lady, my buddies, my teammates, my circle of relatives. As soon as it sinks in, you are roughly like, ‘OK, I in point of fact labored for this and it is going down.’ It used to be an out of this world feeling.”
ESPN Analysis contributed to this record.
