Spurs flip series with 126‑97 blowout
- San Antonio crushed Minnesota 126-97 in Game 5 on Tuesday night, with Victor Wembanyama powering the Spurs into a 3-2 series lead. - Wembanyama finished with 27 points, 17 rebounds and 5 assists, while San Antonio owned the paint 68-36 and held Minnesota below 39% shooting. - The blowout erased Game 4’s wobble and put the Spurs one win from an Oklahoma City matchup.
The NBA story here is simple on the surface — San Antonio didn’t just win Game 5, it bent the series back in its direction. The Spurs beat Minnesota 126-97 on Tuesday night and now lead 3-2, one win from the Western Conference finals. But the real shift was bigger than the score. After Game 4, this series felt messy again. After Game 5, it looked like San Antonio had found the version of the matchup it can control. ### Why did this game feel so decisive? Because it wasn’t a coin-flip playoff win. It was a full-court shove. San Antonio won the paint 68-36, shot 52.8% from the field, and held Minnesota to 38.6%. That is the profile of a game where one team dictated where every possession happened — at the rim on offense, and away from clean looks on defense. (nba.com) ### What did Wembanyama actually do? Victor Wembanyama was the center of everything. He finished with 27 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks, and he set the tone immediately with 18 first-quarter points. That matters because Minnesota never got to ease into its coverages or make him play patiently. He hit first, and the rest of the Spurs played off that pressure. (nba.com) ### Was this just a one-man show? Not really — and that’s the part Minnesota should worry about. Stephon Castle added 17 points and 6 assists, and Keldon Johnson gave San Antonio 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting. When the Spurs get efficient guard play next to Wembanyama, the geometry changes. Minnesota can’t load up on one star, and it can’t survive losing the paint battle that badly. (nba.com) ### What happened to Minnesota? The Timberwolves never got their usual offensive rhythm. San Antonio pushed the ball out of Anthony Edwards’ hands and limited him to 13 shot attempts. Julius Randle scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, but he shot 6-of-17, which kind of sums up the night — volume without control. Minnesota had one real push in the third quarter, briefly tying the game at 61, and then the Spurs answered right away. (nba.com) ### Why does Game 4 matter here? Because Game 5 doubled as a response. Two days earlier, Minnesota had evened the series 2-2, and Wembanyama had been coming off the first ejection of his career. So this wasn’t just San Antonio protecting home court. It was San Antonio restoring the version of the series where its size, rim pressure and defense overwhelm Minnesota instead of trading punches with it. (nba.com) ### What does the series look like now? The math is now brutal for Minnesota. Game 6 is Friday, May 15, in Minneapolis. If the Spurs win, they move on. If the Timberwolves hold serve, Game 7 goes back to San Antonio on Sunday, May 17. Oklahoma City is already waiting after sweeping the Lakers, so the reward for closing this out is immediate. (nba.com) ### So what’s the real takeaway? Basically, the Spurs reminded everyone what their best version looks like. It starts with Wembanyama, but it doesn’t end there. When San Antonio owns the paint, gets clean support scoring, and turns Minnesota into a jump-shooting team, this matchup looks lopsided fast. One more night like that, and the series is over. (nba.com) (cbssports.com)
