Dude Charles Barkley thinks plays in Guangdong just tanked Spurs' Cooper Flagg odds

The San Antonio Spurs are in tank mode without Victor Wembanyama, who's slated to miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season with a blood clot in his right shoulder. We don't need to beat around the bush: The Spurs, kings of lottery luck, are playing for ping pong balls once more.

That said, even in the middle of a bitter and blatant tank, with Cooper Flagg top of mind, every fanbase deserves a reprieve. A brief moment of joy — a sliver of light in the darkness.

San Antonio fans received exactly that in Wednesday's 120-105 victory over the shorthanded New York Knicks.

This isn't an outcome we should read too far into. The Knicks were without Jalen Brunson, a snake without its head. San Antonio has lost five of its last eight, with Wemby and De'Aaron Fox both done for the season. It's not like this team has the firepower to resurrect its postseason hopes in that Western Conference.

The manner of the Spurs' victory, however, was cause for celebration. It is March, after all, which means we are due for some absurd shot-making stretches from total randos across all levels of basketball.

It was San Antonio backup center Sandro Mamukelashvili, a former 54th overall pick to Milwaukee in the 2021 NBA Draft, who set the nets on fire in this one.

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Sandro Mamukelashvili etches name in NBA history books in Spurs win over Knicks

Mamukelashvili, a four-year star at Seton Hall before his NBA career, dropped 34 points on 13-of-14 shooting, including a perfect 7-of-7 from deep ... in 19 minutes. That is a prime Klay Thompson line. The 25-year-old now holds the record for most points scored in an NBA game in less than 20 minutes.

This is March. Mamu never advanced deep into the NCAA Tournament with Seton Hall, but he knows his way around this month well enough. With Wembanyama out, there are wide-open minutes in the frontcourt. It's an opportunity for the former college basketball hotshot to carve out his lane and potentially extend his NBA career.

Mamu has quietly put together a solid campaign in limited minutes for the Spurs, averaging 5.0 points and 2.4 rebounds on .506/.388/.730 splits in 8.9 minutes prior to Wednesday's explosion. It's safe to say he earned a more significant look from interim Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson.

We shouldn't put much stock into a fluky shooting night — Mamukelashvili will probably never recapture this particular magic again — but the signs are there. He's a decidedly modern big, with a smooth 3-point stroke, real face-up skills, and passing chops. The defense is a mixed bag, but every NBA front office is on the lookout for 7-footers with Mamu's skill set. He projects quite well, on paper, as a skilled backup (or complement) to Wemby in the Spurs frontcourt long term.

San Antonio has embraced small-ball in Wemby's absence. Mamu gives them a more traditional look without sapping the offense of spacing.

We all know that game Charles Barkley plays on TNT each season — when he is presented with a list of obscure NBA names and asked to list their respective teams, often with comical (if mildly embarrassing) results. I can guarantee you that Chuck did not know who Mamu was before tonight. He still might not know. But, the broader NBA fandom has now taken notice, and the Spurs have something to hang their hats on during a grim portion of the season.