Victor Wembanyama delivered a dominant all-around performance with 39 points and nine rebounds, securing a crucial offensive board in the closing seconds as the San Antonio Spurs held off Anthony Edwards’ season-high 55 points to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-123 on Saturday night.
Donte DiVincenzo gave Minnesota a brief lead with a 24-foot 3-pointer that made it 119-118 with 1:03 remaining, but Wembanyama answered with a smooth 20-footer on the ensuing possession. Thirteen seconds later, he preserved the slim margin by blocking Joan Beringer’s reverse layup attempt, setting the stage for the Spurs to close it out.
De’Aaron Fox added 25 points and 12 assists for San Antonio, which avoided a season sweep in the three-game series with Minnesota. Keldon Johnson chipped in 20 points for the Spurs.
Edwards was sensational down the stretch, scoring 26 of his 55 points in the fourth quarter while knocking down five of seven 3-pointers in the final period. His late surge nearly mirrored Minnesota’s dramatic comeback against San Antonio on Jan. 11, when Edwards hit a last-second 3 after the Spurs squandered a 19-point fourth-quarter lead in a 104-103 loss.
This time, however, San Antonio had built too large a cushion earlier in the game. The Spurs erupted for a season-high 48 points in the second quarter, shooting 57% from the field while outscoring the Timberwolves 48-22. It marked San Antonio’s highest-scoring quarter since 1987 and the fourth-highest in franchise history.
Wembanyama led the charge early, scoring 23 points in the first half while going 3 of 5 from beyond the arc, matching his season high for points in any half.
Minnesota mounted another rally after halftime, outscoring the Spurs 40-27 in the third quarter and opening the fourth with a 9-2 run capped by an Edwards corner 3 that sent the sellout crowd into a frenzy. Wembanyama was held scoreless for the first 10 minutes of the third quarter before closing the period with a powerful driving dunk, foreshadowing his late-game heroics.
Up next
The Timberwolves visit Utah on Tuesday night, while the Spurs host the Jazz on Monday night.
