Spurs score 133 to rout Timberwolves, tie West semis 1-1

The Western Conference semifinals changed shape fast on Wednesday night. San Antonio didn’t just beat Minnesota in Game 2 — it flattened the game, ran it off the floor, and turned a tense series into a reset. The Spurs won 133-95, tied the series 1-1, and did it with the kind of all-court pressure that makes a playoff opponent look unready. That matters because Game 1 had felt like Minnesota might have found the formula. Game 2 said not so fast. ### Why did this feel bigger than one win? Because the score wasn’t the only thing lopsided. San Antonio controlled 96% of the game by ESPN’s tracking, built a lead that reached 47, and had its starters sitting with about 10 minutes left because the result was already over. In a second-round series, that kind of blowout lands like a message — especially after dropping the opener by two points. ### Who actually drove it? Victor Wembanyama was the center of it again, even without a huge scoring night. He finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds, set the tone early, and kept Minnesota from getting comfortable anywhere near the paint. Stephon Castle led San Antonio with 21 points, while De’Aaron Fox added 16 and gave the offense the downhill force it lacked in stretches of Game 1. ### So was this just hot shooting? Not really — or at least not only that. The Spurs shot 50% from the field and 41% from 3, which is excellent, but the real driver was pace and pressure. They forced 22 Minnesota turnovers, turned misses into transition chances, and won fast-break points 29-5. Basically, every Wolves mistake became a sprint the other way. ### What went wrong for Minnesota? The first half buried them. Minnesota scored only 35 points before the break — its lowest-scoring first half of the season — and looked disconnected from the opening tip. Anthony Edwards, still on a minutes restriction after a hyperextended left knee, came off the bench again. He finished with 12 points, and the Wolves never found a center of gravity. ### Why did San Antonio’s start matter so much? Because the Spurs made the game feel uphill immediately. NBA.com’s breakdown pointed to the opening possessions — Minnesota coughed the ball up on its first three trips, and San Antonio played with much more urgency on both ends. Once the Spurs got downhill, the game started to look like a track meet where only one team knew the route. ### Is there a bigger pattern here? Yes — San Antonio has been unusually good at answering losses. The Spurs had not lost back-to-back games since mid-January, and from that point through this win they had gone 40-9. That doesn’t guarantee anything in this series, but it does make Game 2 feel less like a random spike and more like a habit. They get hit, then they hit back. ### What changes now? The series goes to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday, May 8, with everything reset at 1-1. Minnesota still has home court. But the emotional balance has shifted. After Game 1, the Wolves looked like the team asking the harder questions. After Game 2, San Antonio looks like the team dictating what kind of series this will be. ### Bottom line? San Antonio didn’t just even the series. The Spurs showed the version of themselves Minnesota has to solve — fast, aggressive, deep, and impossible to settle once Fox and Wembanyama start the action early. If Game 1 was a warning shot, Game 2 was the full demonstration.