Josh Giddey has had a front-row seat as San Antonio's star rookie Victor Wembanyama and his new Oklahoma City teammate Chet Holmgrem waged their first NBA battle in style.
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The Australian guard's Thunder won their pre-season clash 122-121 at home against the Spurs, Giddey with 10 points and five assists in 17 minutes of action ahead of his third NBA season.
But it was the antics of French rookie Wembanyama and Holmgrem, nearing his NBA debut after missing all of last year with a foot injury, that had tongues wagging.
The American, taken with pick two of last year's draft, took the spoils with 21 points on 70 per cent shooting and nine rebounds in 16 minutes - 14 points and seven boards coming inside eight minutes of the first quarter.
But Wembanyama wowed in his 19 minutes of action with 20 points, five rebounds, two steals and one incredible block on Jalen Williams that had pundits scratching their heads.
"They're going to be a lot of fun for everybody to watch over their careers," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
In Las Vegas Ben Simmons did his best to prove he was again a talent to be reckoned with, attacking the rim in Brooklyn's 129-126 loss to Los Angeles.
The Australian struggled in 42 games last season after missing the entire 2021-22 campaign as he battled to first leave Philadelphia and then endure back and knee trouble.
He has completed an entire pre-season though and, after draining a series of three-point shots in the warm-up, played with intent as the Nets' primary ball-handler.
He drove past LeBron James on one of three physical drives to the rim and added a fast break dunk, playing 17 minutes and finishing with 10 points on four-of-six shooting and three assists - all in the first half.
Dante Exum played nearly 20 minutes in his return to the NBA with Dallas in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, scoring five points and adding five assists in a loss to Minnesota.
Boomers teammate Josh Green (six points, three rebounds, one steal) started in that game for the Mavericks.
Their side will play Real Madrid in Spain on Wednesday, while Joe Ingles could get his first minutes with Orlando in a clash with Dyson Daniels' New Orleans.
And the NBL's Cairns Taipans, fresh off a defeat of Brisbane on Saturday, will play in Washington against a Wizards team featuring Boomers and former Sydney Kings Xavier Cooks and Dejan Vasiljevic.
Australian Associated Press
