Spurs rout Timberwolves by 30-plus

San Antonio didn’t just bounce back. The Spurs detonated the game. After dropping Game 1 by two points, they buried Minnesota 133-95 on Wednesday night and turned a tense second-round series into a reset. The score matters, but the shape of it matters more — this was a game the Spurs grabbed in the second quarter and never gave back. By the time it ended, the only real question was whether Minnesota could learn anything useful from a 38-point mess. ### How bad was it? Pretty bad. San Antonio led 24-17 after one quarter, then ripped off a huge second period to go up 59-35 at halftime. The Spurs had the lead at 98-63 after three, and the margin eventually reached 47 points. That is not “one team got hot.” That is one team controlling every version of the game — pace, paint touches, transition, and effort. ### Who drove it for San Antonio? Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 21 points, which tells you something important right away — this wasn’t a one-man rescue job. Victor Wembanyama finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds, De’Aaron Fox added 16, and the scoring came in layers behind them. Julian Champagnie’s third quarter frame. ### What actually flipped after Game 1? The Spurs played faster and more directly. They pushed even after Minnesota made baskets, got downhill, and piled up paint points in the second quarter. That matters because Game 1 was tight and late-game fragile. Game 2 was the opposite — San Antonio made Minnesota defend in and started playing their game. ### Why does the halftime score matter so much? Because 59-35 is not a shooting blip by itself. It usually means one team is dictating the terms. Minnesota shot just 29.8% in the first half, managed only 35 points, and logged its lowest-scoring first half of the season. When a team that normally has multiple creators gets dragged into that kind of half-court mud, the problem is bigger than one cold star. ### What went wrong for Minnesota? Almost everything. Julius Randle, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Terrence Shannon Jr. tied for the team lead with just 12 points each. Edwards and Randle had eight apiece by halftime but were a combined 6-for-17 in the first half. Minnesota never found an offensive engine, not. ### Does this mean the series has changed? Yes — but maybe not in the simple “Spurs figured them out” way. Blowouts can distort a series. Still, this one changed the emotional math. Minnesota came in up 1-0 after stealing a road game. Now the series is tied 1-1, and the Timberwolves head home knowing San Antonio’s control. ### So what should you watch next? Watch whether Minnesota can slow the game before San Antonio gets downhill. Watch whether the Timberwolves can make Wembanyama work without letting Castle and Fox attack the cracks. And watch whether this becomes a real depth series. Game 2 said San Antonio has more ways to win than just “Wemby dominates.” That’s the part Minnesota should actually worry about. The bottom line is simple — the Spurs didn’t just even the series, they blew up the idea that Minnesota had control of it. One close road win for the Wolves is now sitting next to a 38-point answer. In a playoff series, that changes the mood fast.