Victor Wembanyama scored 27 points with 17 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 126-97 home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinals series on Tuesday.
Wembanyama, who avoided a suspension after elbowing the Timberwolves’ Naz Reid and getting ejected from the Spurs’ Game 4 loss, made 9 of 16 shots to help San Antonio shoot 53 percent from the field. The Spurs led by as many as 30 points and never trailed after taking a 7-5 lead two minutes into the game.
Despite the lopsided final score, the Timberwolves didn’t go away quietly. Minnesota stormed back from an 18-point second-quarter deficit to tie the game at 61 after crafting a 14-2 run to start the third quarter. And after trailing by 20 early in the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves cut the Spurs’ lead to 11 multiple times down the stretch but couldn’t get closer.
Here are some takeaways with Game 6 set for Friday in Minnesota.
Vengeance for Wemby, Spurs
The taste of revenge must have been so sweet for Wembanyama.
He knew he had to make up for his Game 4 ejection quickly and forcefully. He delivered with 18 points and six rebounds in the first quarter. It was only the third time a player has done that in the first quarter of a playoff game in the past 30 years, per Stathead, joining LeBron James and Nikola Jokić.
Wembanyama had full command of the floor in a way only he can, setting the tone for the evening that the Spurs would dictate the game, and the Wolves would have to fight back to have a chance.
In the end, the Spurs’ defensive pressure was strong enough to push back every time the Wolves closed in. Stephon Castle was nearly perfect, and Keldon Johnson finally came alive in this series. This was a beautifully balanced performance by the Spurs against a rugged opponent that continues to claw away at them and make life a pain.
When Jaden McDaniels hit the bench in the fourth quarter and threw his towel in frustration, it became clear that the Spurs had finally grown impervious to the roughhousing. The Wolves couldn’t get in their heads anymore. Wembanyama got Game 4 out of his system and looked completely in control of Tuesday’s game from start to finish.
San Antonio has shown over the course of this series that they have enough talent in every facet of the game to answer the moment. Now, they have a chance to survive — in every sense of the word — and advance.
Julius Randle’s struggles continue
The Timberwolves have to get more from Julius Randle than they are getting. Randle was 2 of 12 from the field for just eight points through three quarters, making it nearly impossible for the Timberwolves to keep pace with the Spurs.
He finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, but a lot of that damage was done in the fourth quarter when the game was already decided.
Randle’s failure to become a threat on offense is allowing the Spurs to devote even more attention to limiting Anthony Edwards, who took just five shots in the first half of Game 5.
Randle was one of the best players on the team in the first two rounds of last season’s playoffs, leading them to wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. But it’s been a nightmare so far in these two rounds. Randle entered the night shooting just 40 percent from the floor, including 29 percent from 3-point range.
He scored 12 points in each of Games 2, 3 and 4 after averaging 21.1 points per game during the regular season. Even worse, he had only one assist in Game 5 and has not had more than three in a game this series. That is taking away a crucial playmaking element of the Wolves’ offense after Randle led the team with five assists per game in the regular season.
Randle wasn’t alone in his struggles. Jaden McDaniels was in foul trouble for much of the game, and Rudy Gobert had just four points and five rebounds in 23 minutes.
If the Wolves don’t get the kind of game they need from Randle on Friday, their season will likely be over.