Anthony Edwards Won't Admit It, But the Timberwolves Are One Loss Away From Going Home

San Antonio just rolled into Game 5 and reminded Minnesota why they won 62 games this season. The Spurs demolished the Timberwolves 126-97 on Tuesday night, and now the series sits at 3-2 with the Wolves' backs completely against the wall.

Anthony Edwards stood in front of the cameras afterward and talked a big game. "I don't see nobody in our locker room that's too worried," he said. "There's another basketball game. Come out, put your boots on and get ready to go to war." But the scoreboard told a different story. San Antonio has now won their last two home games by a combined 67 points. That's not a fluke. That's a statement.

Wembanyama Came Out Swinging, and Minnesota Had No Answer

Victor Wembanyama wasted no time making his presence felt. The NBA decided not to suspend him after his Game 4 elbow on Naz Reid, ruling that the ejection he got that game was punishment enough. So Wembanyama came out aggressive on Tuesday, determined to atone for the series-shifting mistake.

He was unstoppable early. Sixteen points and five rebounds in the first seven minutes. Floaters from impossible angles. Threes nobody could contest. By the time the dust settled from his opening barrage, the Spurs had a 24-11 lead that set the tone for everything that followed.

Edwards acknowledged the reality: "Some of the stuff Wemby was doing you don't really have too much of an answer for. You just hope he misses."

The Collapse That Ended Any Comeback Hope

Minnesota actually clawed back. Jaden McDaniels was hitting threes. Edwards had 20 points. They got the game tied at 61 with 7:51 left in the third quarter, and for a moment, it felt like a series.

Then everything fell apart. Coach Chris Finch said his team "went away from what was working" offensively and their "defense just cratered." The Spurs dropped 30 points in the final six minutes of the third quarter alone. Ball containment disappeared. Discipline evaporated.

Julius Randle is getting absolutely exposed in this series. He shot 6 of 17 in Game 5 and is now shooting 36.6% from the field for the entire series after putting up 48.1% during the regular season. That's not a slump. That's a major problem.

Foul trouble also haunted the Timberwolves. McDaniels was limited to 30 minutes with five fouls, and when he sat, Minnesota got outscored by 17 points in the 18 minutes he was on the bench. Edwards pointed to what he saw as "tough calls being made out there against him," but the reality is the Wolves can't afford to lose their most important wing player to foul trouble when their season is on the line.

Minnesota heads home needing a win in Game 6, or their season ends. The Spurs proved Tuesday night they're a different animal at home and a different animal entirely when Wembanyama is rolling. The Wolves have one more chance to save their season.

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