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Victor Wembanyama unanimous Defensive Player of the Year win and playoff debut highlights
Victor Wembanyama was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first unanimous winner with all 100 first-place votes. The 7-foot-4 French center led the league in blocks and posted career highs in points and rebounds, while San Antonio enjoyed a strong regular season and his playoff debut produced a game-high 35 points. The first-round action continued into the following days with several notable playoff results.
Why It Matters
The award marks a historic milestone as the first unanimous DPOY winner and reinforces Wembanyama's status as a franchise cornerstone, even as the playoffs unfold with multiple exciting series.
Timeline
3 Events
Wembanyama named NBA Defensive Player of the Year (unanimous)
April 21, 2026
Victor Wembanyama was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first unanimous winner with all 100 first-place votes. The 7-foot-4 France international led the league in blocks (3.1 per game) for the third straight season and averaged career highs in points (25.0) and rebounds (11.5), along with a steal per game. San Antonio finished the regular season 62-20 and ranked third in defense. Holmgren finished second in voting with 239 points, and Ausar Thompson was third with 60 points. Dirk Nowitzki praised Wembanyama, calling his defense transformative on the court.
First-round playoff games on Monday, April 20, 2026
April 20, 2026
The first round of the post-season continued with multiple results: Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Toronto Raptors 115-105 to take a 2-0 series lead, with Donovan Mitchell scoring 30 and James Harden adding 28. Anthony Edwards posted 30 points and 10 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 119-114 to level their series at 1-1. The Atlanta Hawks earned a road comeback win over the New York Knicks, 107-106, with CJ McCollum scoring 32.
Wembanyama's playoff debut: 35 points in Spurs win over Portland
April 19, 2026
Victor Wembanyama scored a game-high 35 points in his playoff debut as San Antonio defeated Portland on Sunday.