MINNEAPOLIS -- Victor Wembanyama knew the lights would be bright and the crowd would be loud when the Spurs walked into Minnesota for a pivotal Game 3.
He walked out with 39 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks, and most importantly a 115-108 win as San Antonio wrestled back control of the series. Now with a 2-1 lead, the Spurs once again have home-court advantage and can push the Timberwolves to the brink of elimination in Game 4.
The fans roared for the opening tipoff ass Prince blared over the loudspeakers, and seconds later Wembanyama silenced them with an alley-oop from what looked to be an impossible angle.
Minnesota gets pretty loud for the tipoff, Wemby immediately says SHUSH pic.twitter.com/WAZIYNCNYQ
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The Spurs started the game on an 18-3 run behind Wembanyama's brilliance, and for a moment it felt like they were going to run the Timberwolves out of their own building. If only it were that easy.
When the home team finally broke the seal, the crowd had been anxiously waiting to cheer for eight minutes of game time. They erupted, and as their Wolves scored more the momentum shifted in the complete opposite direction.
Anthony Edwards hit a 3, then drilled one at the buzzer to make it 23-22 after a quarter. San Antonio struggled mightily shooting the ball, managing just 3-16 from deep in the first half as the starters missed all of their long-range attempts. The starting backcourt of De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle shot 5-16 from the floor, though Castle was able to spread the ball around and get to the free throw line.
Wembanyama logged 16 points, 9 rebounds and a pair of blocks in the first half, but needed some teammates to come for the ride in the second half.
Castle and Wemby each hit an open 3 to start the third quarter, then Devin Vassell dunked it right on Rudy Gobert's noggin. Fox drove and kicked to Julian Champagnie for 3, then sped to the rim in transition for a layup through contact. Vassell hit another 3, then grabbed an offensive rebound and dished to Fox in the corner for another.
Spurs rookie Dylan Harper took a bump and stayed down on the court for a minute while Castle and Jaden McDaniels resumed their ongoing beef, each picking up a tech in the skirmish.
Wembanyama put his head down and attacked the rim, then stuffed Ant in the paint, then had an animated discussion with referee Tony Brothers. The conversation likely centered around the bear-hug "screens" set by Rudy Gobert off the ball and under the basket.
The Timberwolves stayed in contact, but the Spurs carried an 86-79 lead into the final quarter.
Wemby got back to work on offense, making himself a target in the paint and finishing layups and free throws. He grabbed a rebound and placed it gently into the basket, then he drilled a 3 to quiet the Minnesota faithful. They let him hear it when his next shot missed everything but the stanchion.
Every time the Spurs threatened to put the game out of reach, Minnesota had an answer. And every time Minnesota answered.
Gobert finished an and-1, then blocked Wemby when he checked back into the game.
Leading by just one, Castle drove and whipped a pass to Champagnie in the corner. He drilled it as a Timberwolf on the bench leapt in the air next to him, prompting Brothers to ask the bench to settle down a little.
Brothers and Minnesota coach Chris Finch got into a few plays later, with Timberwolves players stepping in.
Wemby dumped it off to Harper for a layup, then hit a crazy post move on Gobert for a short jumper, then swished a 3 to give Spurs a six-point advantage. He scored 18 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter, endiong San Antonio's seven-game losing streak in Minnesota.
San Antonio locked in defensively and squeezed the life out of the Wolves, winning 115-108.
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