Victor Wembanyama Had 12 Blocks and San Antonio Still Lost at Home: "It's on Me"

The Spurs are already staring down a 1-0 hole after a gut-punch 104-102 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on their home floor Monday night. And yeah, Victor Wembanyama knows exactly who to blame.

"It's on me," the MVP candidate said after the loss, and he's got a point. Wembanyama put on a defensive clinic with an NBA playoff single-game record 12 blocked shots and 15 rebounds. But he also went 0-for-8 from deep and combined with De'Aaron Fox, the team's top two scorers in the regular season, for just 21 points on 10-of-31 shooting. That's the kind of night that haunts you in the playoffs.

Defense Ate the Spurs' Lunch, But Shots Wouldn't Fall

Wembanyama was honest about what went wrong. "I used too much energy on defense and things that didn't really help our team," he said. "So that's on me. But first thing I have to start making some shots." He's right. Minnesota won despite shooting just 12-of-21 from the free throw line because San Antonio's offense was ice cold when it mattered most. Julian Champagnie's 3-pointer with the buzzer sounding bounced off the front of the rim with the Spurs down two, gift-wrapping the game to Minnesota and their home court advantage.

Head coach Mitch Johnson acknowledged the inconsistency afterward. "Felt like there were times we got a little in between, whether that was to shoot or not to drive or not to pass," he said. "We were indecisive, and that hurt us." The Spurs mixed in some good shots, too, especially in the first half when they picked up the pace. The second half? That's where things fell apart.

The Timberwolves Are Battle-Tested and Here to Stay

Minnesota showed they've got the playoff mettle to compete. Terrence Shannon Jr. scored off the bench and proved to be a problem defensively for San Antonio. Julius Randle added 21 points with 10 rebounds, winning one-on-one matchups that shouldn't have been close. Anthony Edwards, dealing with a knee injury, was a game-time decision but still chipped in 18 points off the bench.

The Timberwolves came ready to play physical, tight defense for all 48 minutes, and it worked. "That team has success in the playoffs in recent history," Johnson said. "They go through hard-fought series. They obviously showed the mettle that they have. It's going to be a fight."

Game 2 is Wednesday night before the series shifts to Minneapolis. San Antonio, the No. 2 seed, needs to get this series back to even or it gets ugly fast.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.