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LOS ANGELES: Victor Wembanyama scored 40 points in a sensational NBA return on Wednesday, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 125-92 season-opening victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

The 21-year-old French star hadn’t played since he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder that required surgery in February.

But he launched his third season with a dazzling display on both ends of the floor, adding 15 rebounds, a steal and three blocked shots.

Already known for his combination of size and agility, Wembanyama showed off new strength and was virtually unstoppable at the rim.

He connected on 15 of his 21 attempts, including seven of eight in the second half.

“All dreams are allowed now,” he told broadcaster ESPN. “I’m just glad to be back.”

He set a new Spurs franchise record for most points in a season opener, dominating his matchup with Dallas forward Anthony Davis, who led the Mavs with 22 points and 13 rebounds.

San Antonio’s Stephon Castle, who followed in Wembanyama’s footsteps in winning Rookie of the Year honors last season, added 22 points.

But it was a sometimes rocky NBA debut for Dallas’s 18-year-old No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg, who had zero first-half points but finished with a respectable double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Edgecombe shines

Philadelphia’s third overall draft pick VJ Edgecombe made a stellar NBA debut, scoring 34 points with seven rebounds and three assists in the 76ers’ 117-116 victory over the Celtics in Boston.

Edgecombe’s points were the most in an NBA debut since Wilt Chamberlain’s 43 in 1959 and the third-most in a debut game ever.

He broke Allen Iverson’s franchise record for points in a debut of 30, his 14 first-quarter points breaking a record of 12 set by LeBron James in his debut game in 2003.

“It’s just having confidence,” Edgecombe told NBC Sports Philadelphia. “My teammates keep passing me the ball, telling me to shoot it, so why not?“

Edgecombe’s heroics, coupled with 40 points from Tyrese Maxey, helped the 76ers erase a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit.

The Celtics, with Jaylen Brown and Derrick White the only remaining starters from last season’s 61-win team as Jayson Tatum recovers from a ruptured Achilles tendon, had a final chance to seal the win but Payton Pritchard’s jump shot didn’t fall.

Philadelphia’s oft-injured big man Joel Embiid, limited to 19 games last season, scored four points in just over 20 minutes on court.

The New York Knicks opened the season under new coach Mike Brown with a 119-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in a battle of teams expected to contend for the Eastern Conference title.

OG Anunoby scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Jalen Brunson scored 23.

Donovan Mitchell scored 21 of his 31 points in the third quarter as the Cavs erased a 15-point halftime deficit to take a one-point lead.

But the Cavs, who had the best record in the East last season but fell to the Indiana Pacers in the conference semifinals, couldn’t keep the pressure on as they felt the absences of injured Darius Garland and Max Strus.

RIYADH: Several cup races take place at King Abdulaziz Racecourse this week but many eyes will on one of ��������’s highest-rated horses, the South American Group One star Intense For Me (Argentina), who reappears in race eight on Saturday.

The 2,000-meter Open contest has attracted a classy field of nine-runners. But the standout is the Argentine import who has his second start for trainer Abdulaziz Meshref having been snapped up by Muhaideb Abdullah Almuhaideb at the beginning of the year.

The Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini winner was bought last year to compete in The Saudi Cup and the 114-rated son of Fortify (US) may again have the world’s richest race on his agenda after finishing down the field in the 2025 running on his sole start in the country.

The chief danger would be Saudi Cup ninth Wootton’sun (France) who goes for the trainer-jockey combination of Abdullah Al-Kahtani and Adel Alfouraidi.

The horse is one of two runners for Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz, with the Red Stable also sending out the Nawaf Almudiani-ridden Derevo (Britain).

Red Stable also have two good chances in the 2,400-meter Eastern Governance Region Cup.

This is with Alfouraidi’s mount Jack Red Cloud (Ireland) — who contested the Red Sea Turf Handicap last February — and Motafared (US), who beat Jack Red Cloud in the Taif National Day Open and has since changed ownership.

Saturday’s second race, an Arabian Horses Open, has a strong entry with 19 declared but the 1,600-meter event is a fascinating rematch between two runners who dead-heated in the King Khaled Racecourse Championship last month.

Angad Al-Khalediah (��������), who carries the colors of Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz & Sons and will have the assistance of Tariq Almansour, again tackles Anouar (France) under Nawaf Almudiani after the pair crossed the line in unison on the final day of the Taif season.

One of the features on Friday’s card is the 1,600-meter General Intelligence Presidency Cup which will see the once highly-regarded Defunded (US) bid to reignite his career after failing to fire at the end of the previous Riyadh season.

Trained by Abdulaziz Meshref and ridden by Fahad Alfouraidi, the 7-year-old has been beaten in the last two Saudi Cups having arrived with a tall reputation from Bob Baffert’s California yard.

He faces 15 rivals in the 10th race and they include Carmel Road (US) and Electability (US) for the White Stable of Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz & Sons, with Thamer Aldaihani sending out Ajwadi (Britain) and Uncle (Britain).

Nine runners will go to post in the 1,800-meter Africa Cup for local-breds.

The exciting Yaroa (��������) reappears after winning all three of his career starts last season culminating with victory in the Local G1 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup under Camilo Ospina.

He is joined by other White Stable runners Mafroodh (��������) and Mayhamah, with the Red Stables represented by the strong stayer Mashmookh under Luis Morales and the Abdullah Alkredis-ridden Alghadaf, all from the Kingdom.