Spurs rout Timberwolves 126-97 in Game 5 blowout

San Antonio didn’t just win Game 5. The Spurs blew the doors off it. They beat the Timberwolves 126-97 on Tuesday night and grabbed a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinals. That matters because Game 5 in a 2-2 series is usually the hinge game — and this one turned into a statement. Victor Wembanyama was everywhere, the Spurs owned the paint, and Minnesota never really made the game feel unstable after the first quarter. ### Why did this game swing so hard? Because San Antonio set the tone immediately and never gave it back. Wembanyama scored 16 of the Spurs’ first 21 points, which basically told Minnesota the night’s problem in the opening minutes: they had no clean answer for his size, touch, or timing. By halftime the Spurs were in control, and by the third quarter the game had turned into a rout. (nba.com) ### What made Wembanyama’s night so big? It wasn’t just the 27 points. He added 17 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks, which is the kind of line that bends the whole floor around one player. The rebounds were his postseason high, and the assists matter too — Minnesota couldn’t just load up on him without giving San Antonio easier looks elsewhere. That’s the version of Wembanyama that makes a series feel unfair. (nbcsports.com) ### Where did San Antonio really win it? In the paint, and on the glass. The Spurs finished with 60 rebounds and kept generating second chances and close-range pressure. Minnesota let San Antonio play downhill all night, which is dangerous against a team that already has the best interior cheat code in the series. Once that gap opened, the Wolves were chasing the game instead of shaping it. (cbsnews.com) ### Why is the ejection part of the story? Because this came right after Wembanyama’s first career ejection in Game 4, and there was some question about whether that moment would linger. Turns out it went the other way. He looked sharper, more forceful, and more locked in from the jump. Instead of carrying frustration into Game 5, he used it like lighter fluid. (nba.com) ### What happened to Minnesota? The Timberwolves never found a rhythm that lasted. Their defense couldn’t keep San Antonio out of the lane, and once the Spurs started stacking stops with transition chances, Minnesota’s offense got rushed and flat. This wasn’t one of those close losses where a few late possessions decide everything. The Wolves got pushed backward for most of the night. (cbsnews.com) ### So what changes now? Home-court pressure flips. Minnesota goes back home for Game 6, but now it’s the team facing elimination pressure, not the one holding control. San Antonio is one win from the conference finals, and after a 29-point blowout, the Spurs also have the psychological edge — which is real, even if it doesn’t show up in a box score. That last part is an inference, but it’s a pretty safe one after a game this lopsided. (nba.com) ### Is this series over? Not automatically. One blowout doesn’t guarantee the next game. But the catch for Minnesota is simple — the Wolves now have to prove Game 5 was the outlier, while San Antonio gets to walk into Game 6 knowing its best formula is still very much alive: let Wembanyama bend the game, win the paint, and make Minnesota react. (nba.com) The bottom line is that Game 5 changed the feel of the series. San Antonio now has the lead, the matchup advantage that mattered most, and the clearest path forward. Minnesota still has a chance, but after Tuesday night, the Spurs look like the team holding the wheel. (nba.com)