After being ejected early in the previous game for striking an opponent with his elbow, Victor Wembanyama returned to the court in dominant fashion, posting 27 points and 17 rebounds to push the San Antonio Spurs within one win of the Western Conference Finals.
San Antonio defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-97 on Tuesday at Frost Bank Center in Dallas, Texas, taking a 3-2 lead in the second-round playoff series. The Spurs had entered Game 5 tied at 2-2 after losing Game 4, which saw Wembanyama ejected in the second quarter for elbowing Minnesota’s Naz Reid in the chin during a rebound battle. The rookie sensation faced no additional suspension and responded with a performance that featured 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in 32 minutes and 38 seconds.
Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards fought hard with 20 points, but the Timberwolves struggled with their shooting throughout the night, ultimately falling short.
The Spurs took control early, leading 59-47 at halftime. Wembanyama, fresh off an early exit in Game 4, poured in 18 points in the first quarter alone. Minnesota managed to cut the deficit to 14 points at one point and mounted a 14-2 run early in the third quarter to tighten the game, successfully cutting off passes to Wembanyama.
But San Antonio regained momentum with a block and jump shot from Keldon Johnson, sparking another run. Edwards tried to rally with consecutive scores, but the gap widened again. The Spurs opened the fourth quarter with a bank shot from Wembanyama to go up by 20 points. Minnesota fought back with efforts from Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels, but a jump shot by Johnson with 3:09 remaining forced the Timberwolves to pull their starters and wave the white flag.
San Antonio now stands just one victory away from reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2017.
