Wembanyama powers Spurs past Wolves for 2-1 lead

Victor Wembanyama delivered another dominant performance with 39 points, 15 rebounds, and a game-changing defensive display to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 115-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, giving San Antonio a 2-1 advantage in their second-round NBA playoff series, News.Az reports, citing AP.

Wembanyama shot 13-for-18 from the field and converted 10 of 12 free throws while also recording five blocks and consistently disrupting Minnesota’s offense in the paint.

The Spurs secured their second consecutive victory after losing the opening game at home.

De'Aaron Fox contributed 17 points, while Stephon Castle added 13 points and 12 assists, finishing with a team-best plus-17 rating.

For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards posted 32 points and 14 rebounds, while Naz Reid recorded 18 points and nine rebounds. Despite recovering from a poor start thanks to strong defensive efforts, the Timberwolves allowed the Spurs to shoot 6-for-10 from three-point range during a crucial third quarter.

Minnesota will host Game 4 on Sunday night before the series returns to San Antonio for Game 5 on Tuesday.

Jaden McDaniels forced Wembanyama into his fifth foul with 6:18 remaining, and his pair of free throws cut the Spurs’ lead to 99-98. However, San Antonio maintained control throughout the second half, even without building a double-digit lead.

Wembanyama remained composed despite the foul trouble and scored 16 points in the fourth quarter alone. His three-pointer in response to Reid’s basket extended the Spurs’ lead to six points with just over three minutes left. Reid attempted another late three-pointer on the next possession, but it missed, allowing Wembanyama to grab the rebound.

Edwards, who returned at the start of the series after recovering quickly from a deep bone bruise caused by a hyperextended left knee, scored 22 first-half points to help Minnesota recover from an early 18-3 deficit.

The Timberwolves missed their first 12 shots of the game and did not score their first basket until Rudy Gobert made a putback with 6:52 gone in the opening quarter. Unlike their 133-95 loss in Game 2 on Wednesday, Minnesota showed greater defensive intensity and resilience to overcome prolonged scoring struggles.

Edwards drained a buzzer-beating 31-foot shot at the end of the first quarter, while McDaniels hit a three-pointer from the wing to send the teams into halftime tied at 51-51.

McDaniels and Julius Randle struggled the most against Wembanyama’s defensive presence, as both players found it difficult to attack the rim or score from close range. The pair combined to shoot just 8-for-34 from the field.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev