The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-108 in Game 3 on Friday night behind clutch performances from Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox, taking a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
Wembanyama put up his best performance of the series with 39 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks while shooting 13-for-18 from the field, 3-for-5 from beyond the arc and 10-for-12 from the free-throw line.
San Antonio recovered after dropping the series opener and has now won two straight games. Wembanyama controlled both ends of the floor throughout the night, especially in the fourth quarter, where he scored 16 points. With the Spurs holding a slim lead late, he answered a Naz Reid 3-pointer with one of his own to widen the advantage to six points with just over three minutes remaining. He also closed possessions defensively with pivotal rebounds and rim protection while playing through foul trouble after picking up his fifth foul with 6:18 left in the game.
Meanwhile, Fox finished with 17 points, five assists, three rebounds and one steal in 35 minutes. His shooting line included 7-for-19 from the floor, 1-for-5 from three-point range and 2-for-3 at the line. Fox got off to a slow start, missing his first four shots and scoring only six first-half points on 3-for-10 shooting, but he responded after halftime with several crucial baskets and playmaking sequences that helped San Antonio maintain control.
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Stephon Castle contributed 13 points and 12 assists for a double-double while recording a team-best plus-17 rating. Devin Vassell added 13 points and six rebounds, while Keldon Johnson scored 11 points. Dylan Harper chipped in eight points and four rebounds, including meaningful late-game minutes, and rookie Carter Bryant scored six points with two first-half 3-pointers.
The Spurs opened the game with an 18-3 run while the Timberwolves missed its first 12 field-goal attempts. Wembanyama scored nine of San Antonio's first 11 points during that stretch. However, Anthony Edwards kept Minnesota in the game, finishing with 32 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in 40 minutes after returning to the starting lineup despite dealing with knee pain earlier in the playoffs. Naz Reid supplied 18 points and nine rebounds off the bench, while Jaden McDaniels scored 17 points.
The Timberwolves erased the early deficit and tied the game 51-51 at halftime after Edwards hit a buzzer-beating 31-footer at the end of the first quarter and McDaniels connected on a late first-half 3-pointer. The teams traded momentum throughout the second half, but the Spurs' shot-making and Wembanyama's late-game brilliance secured the victory and ended San Antonio's seven-game losing streak in Minnesota.
Game 4 will be played on Sunday in Minneapolis.
The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-108 in Game 3 on Friday night behind clutch performances from Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox, taking a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals. Wembanyama put up his best performance of the series with 39 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks while shooting 13-for-18 from the field, 3-for-5 from beyond the arc and 10-for-12 from the free-throw line.