Victor Wembanyama delivered another playoff performance that felt bigger than the box score, and the San Antonio Spurs are now two wins away from the Western Conference finals.
The 22-year-old star dominated both ends of the floor Friday night with 39 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks as the Spurs beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-108 at Target Center to grab a 2-1 lead in the second-round series.
Wembanyama shot 13-of-18 from the field and repeatedly erased Minnesota possessions before they could even develop. His impact extended far beyond the five official blocks, as Timberwolves players consistently avoided attacking the paint or settled for difficult attempts around him.
The Spurs needed every bit of it after Minnesota recovered from a brutal opening stretch. The Timberwolves missed their first 12 shots and fell behind 18-3, but Anthony Edwards dragged them back into the game with another explosive postseason performance.
Edwards finished with 32 points and 14 rebounds while playing through the hyperextended left knee that briefly sidelined him earlier in the playoffs. He scored 22 points in the first half, including a buzzer-beating 31-footer at the end of the first quarter that energized the crowd.
Minnesota eventually tied the game at 51 entering halftime after Jaden McDaniels drilled a three at the buzzer, and the Wolves continued pushing in the second half despite struggling against San Antonio’s size and rim protection.
The defining sequence came midway through the fourth quarter when McDaniels drew Wembanyama’s fifth foul and cut the deficit to 99-98 with 6:18 remaining. For a moment, the game appeared ready to swing toward Minnesota.
Instead, Wembanyama closed the door himself.
After sitting briefly, the Spurs star returned and scored 16 fourth-quarter points without showing hesitation or foul trouble concerns. His biggest shot came with just over three minutes left, when he answered a Naz Reid three-pointer with one of his own to restore a six-point cushion.
On the next possession, Reid launched another late-clock three that bounced off the rim, and Wembanyama secured the rebound to help San Antonio regain control.
De’Aaron Fox added 17 points and five assists, while rookie Stephon Castle continued his strong postseason with 13 points and 12 assists. Castle posted a team-best plus-17 and repeatedly kept the offense organized when Minnesota applied pressure.
San Antonio’s spacing also created problems throughout the second half. The Spurs hit 6-of-10 from three-point range in the third quarter, forcing Minnesota’s defense to stretch away from the rim and creating driving lanes for Fox and Wembanyama.
Naz Reid finished with 18 points and nine rebounds for Minnesota, but Julius Randle and McDaniels struggled badly against Wembanyama’s reach and timing. The duo combined to shoot just 8-of-34 from the field.
Now the pressure shifts squarely onto the Timberwolves heading into Game 4 on Sunday night in Minneapolis. Minnesota avoided panic after losing Game 2 by 38 points, but another defeat would leave the Wolves facing elimination against a Spurs team that suddenly looks fully in control of the series.
