Victor Wembanyama carried the Spurs to the win (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs took back homecourt advantage by defeating the Timberwolves in Minnesota in Game 3 by a final score of 115-108. The Spurs are now up 2-1 in the series thanks to an all-universe showing by Wembanyama. The game was close in the fourth quarter but the Spurs had a player on their team who refused to be denied this victory.
Stats: Spurs at Timberwolves
Spurs at Timberwolves – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
Considering what was at stake, this was probably the best performance of Wembanyama’s career. It was one of the best performances I’ve seen by a Spurs player. The Frenchman dominated the action on both ends. Defensively, he was a monster. His five blocks don’t tell the accurate tale of how much he shut down the paint. He was also very good on the perimeter and his processing was faster than ever. His rebounding (15) was awesome and hugely important. Wembanyama was equally as good on the offensive end. He had 39 points including 16 in the fourth quarter. He hit 10-of-13 two-pointers, 3-of-5 three-pointers and 10-of-12 free throws. Add in only one turnover and his very high competitiveness level and I’m running out of adjectives to describe just how amazing Wembanyama was on this night.
Grade: A+
De’Aaron Fox
To begin the contest, it looked like Fox was going to have a disappointing outing. He hit only one of his first eight shots from the field and the poor vibes from Game 1 were seemingly back. Thankfully, Fox was able to turn things around. Of his last 11 shots, he hit six of them. During that stretch, he also had four assists and only one turnover. I liked Fox’s defense in the second half, too. All in all, it was a bad start but he recovered well enough to help the Spurs get the win.
Grade: C+
Stephon Castle
The good: Castle’s playmaking was very good. He had 12 assists, including a handful of vital passes. He also got to the line eight times, handled the ball well despite heavy pressure and defended at a high level. His passion and edge gave the Spurs a lift. The bad: Castle was only 3-for-11 from the floor and was responsible for four of the team’s nine turnovers. Overall: Castle’s positives far outweighed the negatives on this night. He was definitely a force for good on both ends.
Grade: B+
Devin Vassell
Vassell’s stats don’t look like anything special but he was a key part of this victory. While he was only 6-for-14 from the field, his makes were timely and he almost single-handedly stopped a few runs. His passing was also better than usual. Moreover, I thought Vassell played really good defense — especially individually. He has turned up the volume in the playoffs, which has been really good to see.
Grade: B+
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie is another player who did better than his numbers would suggest. He made only two shots in 29 minutes but both of them were three-pointers. One of his threes was a huge shot at an important moment in the fourth quarter. Champagnie also made smart passes, finished without a turnover and played admirable defense. That said, his best trait of all was his rebounding. He had 12 boards, including four on the offensive end. Champagnie’s rebounding is turning him into a very valuable cog in San Antonio’s wheel.
Grade: B
Dylan Harper
Harper was pretty good. We’ve seen better out of him in the playoffs but he stood up during key moments. He was only 2-for-6 from the field and missed both of his three-point attempts … but he got to the free throw line for six attempts. Importantly, Harper was best in the fourth quarter. He was 2-for-2 from the field in the fourth, along with 2-for-2 at the line. Harper’s defense was also really good — particularly in the second half. The rookie didn’t do much playmaking but he competed on both ends and helped the Spurs get the last laugh.
Grade: B
Keldon Johnson
The good: Johnson was 2-for-4 from three-point territory and 3-for-4 at the free throw line. I liked his aggression on offense and he played hard on the defensive end. The bad: Johnson was 1-for-3 on two-pointers and only grabbed two rebounds in 19 minutes. He needs to rebound better to justify his minutes. There were also more than his normal amount of defensive mistakes in Game 3.
Grade: C-
Luke Kornet
I mean, anyone is going to look bad compared to Wemby is in legendary mode. But Kornet could have stepped up a lot more than he did. One rebound in 11 minutes isn’t going to cut it. His defense wasn’t impactful and he sometimes got in the way offensively. Kornet has played well in the playoffs but this wasn’t an example of that level of play.
Grade: C-
Carter Bryant
Big stuff from Bryant. He was the only perimeter player to hit at least half of his shots, as he finished 2-for-2 from three-point land. Both of his shots were confident and his stroke looked pristine. Defensively, I was pretty darn impressed. He moved his feet well, he was powerful, he rotated with quickness and he didn’t look like a rookie at all. Bryant only played eight minutes but it’s easy to imagine him playing a lot more.
Grade: B+
Harrison Barnes
Welp, Barnes played six minutes and didn’t do much. To his credit, his steal led directly to a three-pointer by Bryant — so that was big. Outside of that, though, Barnes rarely moved the needle.
Grade: C
Mitch Johnson
Coach Mitch helped unlock Wembanyama early with his playcalling — so that was obviously an important storyline. I liked his rotation for the most part. Specifically, giving minutes to Bryant in the fourth quarter was gutsy. He also let Harper run the show a bit in the fourth — and didn’t overplay Fox in the period. The defensive scheme sometimes felt needlessly complicated but it’s difficult to complain about the final results.
Grade: B