Keldon Johnson powered the San Antonio Spurs to a 113-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night, scoring 25 points to lead his team to a 3-3 record. The Spurs secured the win despite missing head coach Gregg Popovich, who was absent due to illness.
The Spurs’ balanced offense included significant contributions from Chris Paul, who tallied 15 points and a season-high 13 assists, marking his second consecutive game with double-digit assists. Jeremy Sochan added a double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, while Victor Wembanyama recorded 17 points and six boards.
Paul, who continues to make history, became the second-oldest player in NBA history to record 10 assists in back-to-back games, a record set by Hall of Famer John Stockton at age 41. The 39-year-old’s playmaking boosted San Antonio’s ball movement, helping the team control the pace throughout the game.
For the Timberwolves, Julius Randle scored a team-high 21 points, while Anthony Edwards contributed 18 in his second game in as many nights. Minnesota came into the game off a taxing victory against the Denver Nuggets, arriving in San Antonio early in the morning, which appeared to affect their energy.
The Spurs have also shown improvement in ball control, with just 11 turnovers in this game, matching their previous season-low. After struggling with turnovers in the season opener, San Antonio’s ball-handling has improved, and the team has only committed 22 combined turnovers in their last two games.
For the Timberwolves, Gobert’s impact was limited to 10 points as he struggled against Wembanyama’s interior defense, which included two blocked shots. Randle, however, attacked the paint effectively with a variety of moves, finishing 8-for-15 from the field but unable to swing the game’s outcome.
