Spurs take 3-2 series lead with Game 5 win over Timberwolves

San Antonio moved within one win of the Western Conference finals on May 12 with a 126-97 home victory over Minnesota in Game 5 of the teams’ second-round series. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 27 points and 17 rebounds, and the official NBA box score listed the attendance at 19,345, a sellout at Frost Bank Center. The win gave the No. 2 seed Spurs a 3-2 lead over the No. 6 seed Timberwolves in a matchup that had been tied 2-2 after Minnesota’s Game 4 victory. Oklahoma City had already clinched the other Western Conference finals berth, according to the NBA playoff bracket. ### How decisive was Game 5? The 29-point margin was San Antonio’s largest win of the series outside its 38-point Game 2 blowout. The Spurs led 24-17 after the first quarter, pushed the advantage to 59-35 by halftime and never let Minnesota back within striking range, according to the official box score. (statsdmz.nba.com) Minnesota finished with 97 points on 32-for-83 shooting, while San Antonio scored 126 on balanced production across its starting lineup and bench. The NBA’s Game 5 recap said the Spurs controlled the paint on the way to the win. ### Which Spurs players set the tone? Wembanyama’s line included five assists and three blocks in 32 minutes. (statsdmz.nba.com) The NBA’s live recap identified his 27-point, 17-rebound performance as the centerpiece of San Antonio’s Game 5 response after he had been ejected in Game 4. De’Aaron Fox added 18 points and five assists, while Stephon Castle scored 17 points and Keldon Johnson had 21 off the bench. (statsdmz.nba.com) Devin Vassell scored 12 points, and Dylan Harper added 12 more as San Antonio spread scoring across six players in double figures. ### What went wrong for Minnesota? Anthony Edwards scored 20 points in 39 minutes, but Minnesota did not get enough scoring efficiency from its main group. (statsdmz.nba.com) Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels each scored 17 points, and Rudy Gobert finished with four points and five rebounds in 22 minutes. The Timberwolves made 9 of 33 shots from three-point range and committed 16 turnovers that led to 19 San Antonio points, according to the official box score. (statsdmz.nba.com) Naz Reid scored 12 points off the bench, but no Minnesota reserve scored more. ### How did the series get here? Minnesota opened the series with a 104-102 road win on May 4 before San Antonio answered with a 133-95 victory in Game 2 on May 6. (statsdmz.nba.com) The Spurs then won 115-108 in Game 3 on May 8 for a 2-1 lead. Minnesota tied the series on May 10 with a 114-109 Game 4 win after Wembanyama was ejected for a flagrant foul on Naz Reid early in the second quarter. (statsdmz.nba.com) NBA.com and The Associated Press both reported that the Game 4 result sent the series back to San Antonio even at two games apiece. ### When is Game 6, and what is at stake? (nba.com) Game 6 is scheduled for Friday, May 15, at 9:30 p.m. ET in Minneapolis, according to the NBA’s official playoff schedule and series page. A Spurs win would send San Antonio to the Western Conference finals against Oklahoma City, while a Timberwolves win would force Game 7 in San Antonio on Sunday, May 17. (nba.com) The NBA schedule page said the conference finals dates will be updated once the semifinal series is decided. The Western Conference finals matchup is listed as Oklahoma City against the winner of San Antonio-Minnesota. (nba.com)