Spurs' Wembanyama 27 points 17 rebounds

Victor Wembanyama put San Antonio one win from the Western Conference finals on May 12, finishing with 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a 126-97 Game 5 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The win at Frost Bank Center gave the Spurs a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven semifinal series. The performance came two days after Wembanyama was ejected in Game 4 in Minneapolis for a Flagrant 2 foul after elbowing Naz Reid in the throat, according to the NBA game recap. He returned without a suspension and scored 18 points in the first quarter on Tuesday night, setting the tone for San Antonio’s largest win of the series. San Antonio got scoring beyond its star as well. (nba.com) Keldon Johnson scored 21 points, De’Aaron Fox added 18 and Stephon Castle had 17, while the Spurs shot 53% from the field and scored 68 points in the paint, according to NBA.com’s Game 5 coverage. Anthony Edwards finished with 20 points for Minnesota after scoring eight in the first half, and Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels each added 17. (nba.com) The Timberwolves opened the third quarter on a 14-2 run to erase an 18-point first-half deficit and tie the game at 61, but San Antonio pulled away again and turned the game into a rout. Wembanyama said after the game that he felt ready for the moment. “I was fresh, feeling good,” he said, according to the NBA recap. (nba.com) Spurs coach Mitch Johnson called the 22-year-old’s response “very mature” after what Johnson described as a volatile 48 hours between Games 4 and 5. NBA.com said Wembanyama, at 22, became the third-youngest player in league history to record 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a playoff game, trailing only Magic Johnson and Luka Doncic. (nba.com) The stat line underscored how completely he affected the game at both ends as San Antonio regained control of the series. The result also continued a pattern in the matchup. (nba.com) San Antonio had already beaten Minnesota 133-95 in Game 2, and Tuesday’s 29-point margin gave the Spurs another lopsided home win in the series. Minnesota, by contrast, now returns home needing a victory to force a Game 7. Game 6 is scheduled for Friday, May 15, at 9:30 p.m. ET at Target Center in Minneapolis, according to NBA.com. (nba.com) If Minnesota wins, Game 7 would be played Sunday, May 17. NBA.com said the winner of the series will face Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals.