Victor Wembanyama stars, Scoot Henderson leads G League Ignite to victory in No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup of NBA draft prospects

HENDERSON, Nevada — With Chris Paul and A'ja Wilson watching courtside, French basketball star Victor Wembanyama, the uncanny 7-foot-5 center and projected No. 1 NBA draft pick, put on a show in a 37-point performance Tuesday night at the Dollar Loan Center against the G League Ignite and Scoot Henderson, the projected No. 2 pick.

Henderson scored 28 points and led his team to a 122-115 victory.

At halftime, Wembanyama's Metropolitans 92 team, a pro squad from France, was down 71-52 before his second-half burst helped his team take the lead and battle the Ignite down the stretch.

«At some point, it was just about taking over because our team needed players to step up because we were down [21 points], I think,» said Wembanyama, who admitted playing longer quarters for the first time (games in Europe are 40 minutes versus 44 minutes in the NBA and G League) affected his stamina. «Coming back from such a lead, it's a tough task.… There are times, you got to do what you got to do.»

Henderson finished 11-for-21 and led his team to the win with his own display of impressive shots, drives and dunks, including a 3-pointer and reverse layup over Wembanyama in the first half.

He said he never thought about the game as a matchup between himself and Wembanyama, though.

«It's just playing basketball on a stage,» he said after the game. «That's what I took away from this night.»

Tuesday night's game was the first of two showcases between the teams this week in Henderson, about 20 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. The teams will play again Thursday at noon.

It was Wembanyama's first game in the United States. He finished 11-for-20 (7-for-11 from the 3-point line) with five blocks — and with a number of noteworthy players and NBA reps