Spurs lose franchise-record-tying 16th straight game - ESPN

SAN ANTONIO — With his team mired in a double-digit losing streak, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has tried shaking things up with his starting lineup.

On Friday, that meant moving rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama to the center spot and surrounding him with four perimeter players in the starting group for the first time this season. But despite the move, the result stayed the same.

The Spurs dropped their franchise-record-tying 16th consecutive game, a 121-112 loss to the Chicago Bulls. San Antonio is 3-18 this season, their worst start in franchise history through 21 games.

They lost despite a huge night from Wembanyama: 21 points, 20 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks. At 19 years and 338 days, he became the youngest player in NBA history with a game of 20 points and 20 rebounds, passing the mark held by Dwight Howard in 2005 by just four days. Wembanyama and Howard are the only teenagers in league history to reach 20-20 in a game.

The Spurs led by as many as 12 but ultimately slowed down in the second half, in what has been a common trend this season. The Spurs are 1-9 in games they've held at least a 10-point lead, with eight straight losses.

Once again, the Spurs couldn't get things going in the third quarter when the Bulls outscored them 35-20 to take the lead. San Antonio briefly led in the fourth quarter but Chicago was able to pull away late.

«When our opponents are down at half, of course they're going to try and have a reaction, but we got to expect that every time,» Wembanyama said. «Because our first half was pretty solid, especially defensively. And yeah, there's ups and downs during the game, but we got to get our downs less and less.»

Through 21 games, San Antonio has been outscored by 146 points