Victor Wembanyama delivered a dominant performance, powering the San Antonio Spurs to a 126-97 blowout victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, reclaiming control of the NBA Western Conference semifinals.
The French phenom, making up for his ejection in the previous game, recorded 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. The 17 rebounds set a playoff career high for the 7-foot-4 sensation, who earlier in the series broke the postseason record for blocks with 12.
The Spurs now hold a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, with a chance to advance to the Western Conference Finals on Friday. Waiting for them would be the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who completed a 4-0 sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
Wembanyama’s ferocity on both ends of the floor has propelled San Antonio, a team that missed the playoffs the last six seasons, to the brink of their first conference finals appearance since 2017.
“We won, that’s what matters, but the job isn’t done,” the 22-year-old center said. “We did what we were supposed to do at home. We had to set the tone, and we knew it would be a physical game.”
The French star entered the court highly motivated after his early ejection in Sunday’s Game 4, which came after he caught Naz Reid with an elbow to the jaw while grabbing a rebound early in the second quarter. The NBA did not suspend him for the incident, and San Antonio went on to lose that game.
On Tuesday, Wembanyama made a resounding return, scoring 18 points in the first quarter as the Spurs jumped out to a 24-9 lead. He connected on 9 of 16 shots, often matched up against fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert. In one spectacular fourth-quarter sequence, he spun around Gobert, faked a shot, and delivered a no-look pass for a Julian Champagnie dunk.
“Some of the things Wemby did tonight are just unguardable. You can only hope he misses,” said Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who tried to keep his team’s spirits up despite finishing with 20 points. “I don’t see anyone in our locker room who is too worried. We’ve been here before.”
Throughout the game, there were several confrontations between Timberwolves players and Wembanyama. Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson praised the young center’s composure.
“There was a lot going on in the last game and the 48 hours after that. This young man has shown the ability to play in different ways under very different circumstances. He showed a lot of maturity,” Johnson said.
When Wembanyama briefly cooled off, the Timberwolves attempted to rally behind Edwards. After trailing 59-47 at halftime, Minnesota opened the third quarter with a 14-2 run to tie the game at 61. But the Spurs responded with a powerful surge, effectively putting the game away in the third quarter through a balanced offensive effort.
Six Spurs players scored in double figures, including Keldon Johnson (21 points) and De’Aaron Fox (18). Watching from the stands with approval were several legendary figures from the franchise: Gregg Popovich, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginóbili.
