Wembanyama Erupted After His Ejection and the Spurs Just Buried Minnesota

Victor Wembanyama made a statement. After getting tossed out of Game 4 for elbowing Naz Reid in the throat, the Spurs' franchise player came back Tuesday night and put on an absolute clinic, finishing with 27 points, 17 rebounds, and three blocks as San Antonio demolished the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-97. The Spurs now lead the series 3-2 and are one win away from the Western Conference Finals.

The Wembanyama Bounce-Back Was Relentless From Minute One

This wasn't just a solid performance. Wembanyama was unstoppable early, especially in the opening quarter where he went 6-for-8 from the field and 2-for-3 from three while dropping 18 points. Reid's technical foul for pushing Wembanyama in the back with 2:24 left in the first half clearly fired him up. After getting tangled up with Jaden McDaniels early, Wembanyama got approached by Ayo Dosunmu but responded by running untouched to the rim for an emphatic windmill dunk that had to be demoralizing for Minnesota.

The first half paint was a physical, chippy affair. Both teams were going at each other hard, but the Spurs' superstar was the one making plays when it mattered. San Antonio built an 18-point lead in the first half by controlling the glass and the rim.

Minnesota Made a Run, But the Spurs Shut It Down

The Timberwolves opened the third quarter with a 14-2 run that cut San Antonio's lead and briefly tied the game. They even tipped away three attempted alley-oop passes to Wembanyama before he could get going at the rim. For a moment, it looked like Minnesota might have life.

The Spurs had other ideas. Keldon Johnson blocked Rudy Gobert's attempted dunk, then bodied Anthony Edwards under the rim for a short jumper that recaptured a double-digit lead. From there, San Antonio never looked back. Johnson finished with 21 points, De'Aaron Fox added 18, and Stephon Castle chipped in 17 as the Spurs' balanced attack proved too much.

Edwards finished with 20 points for Minnesota after being limited to just eight in the first half. Julius Randle and McDaniels added 17 apiece, but it wasn't enough. The Spurs can advance to face Oklahoma City with a victory in Game 6 on Friday in Minneapolis.

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