Spurs Defense And Wembanyama’s Response Put San Antonio One Win Away
The Spurs regained control of the series defeating Minnesota 126-97 last night at the Frost Bank Center.
Following a tense Game 4 which saw V-Dub collect his first career ejection, the Silver and Black returned the Timberwolves physical play with stanch defense.
Last night’s game was the fifth time in 10 postseason games in which the Spurs held its opponent under 100 points.
“I thought we did a good job of having resistance early in the clock,” coach Mitch Johnson said. “They’ve shown as the series has gone on, they’ve tried to play faster at times and they’re tough when they get downhill. I think when we’ve had better starting spots, more connectivity at the start of possessions, I think it’s really helped us be on a string and be organized and connected defensively.”
The Spurs held the visiting Wolves to just 39% (32-83) from the field and only 27% (9-33) from distance.
They were also able to keep Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards in check holding him to just 20 points, including just eight first half points. Edwards was instrumental in Minnesota’s Game 4 rally scoring 16 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter of that game.
How would V-Dub respond after dodging a bullet with a possible suspension ahead of Game 5 was a key question going into last night’s matchup.
He responded with a dominating performance finishing with 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. At 22 years old, he is the third-youngest player in NBA history to post that stat line in a playoff game, trailing only Magic Johnson (20) and Luka Doncic (21).
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“I was fresh, feeling good,” Wembanyama said. “Honestly, it’s hard to tell. It was just Game 5. Obviously, I’m going to be excited (and) to have butterflies. So, excitement is not something abnormal at this point in the playoffs.”
V-Dub went to work early and often going 6 for 8 from the field and 2 for 3 on 3-pointers and scoring 18 points in the opening quarter.
“I think it’s super important for us the way we start the game, because it sets the tone,” Wembanyama said, “Now the challenge is to do it for 48 minutes.”
Sixth man of the year Keldon Johnson had 21 points for the Spurs off the bench, while De’Aaron Fox added 18. Stephon Castle chipped in 17 points on an efficient 8-11 from the field with six dimes.
A key stat from the game was points in the paint. The Spurs dominated the Wolves in points in the paint 68-36. It was a combination of the Spurs offensive aggression as well as the overall team effort on defense that led to the discrepancy.
Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels each added 17 points for Minnesota.
With a 3-2 lead, the Silver and Black will look to close out the series Thursday in Minnesota.
