Following the Game 4 ejection for an elbow to Naz Reid, Victor Wembanyama started Game 5 at a blistering pace vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves. The generational talent scored 16 points in the first 6:11 of the game before he went to the bench and eventually finished the first quarter with 18 points.
ClutchPoints asked the MVP candidate how much of his scorching start had to do with a concerted effort to send a message.
“I think it's super important for us the way we start a game because it sets the tone,” Wemby told CP.
In ending his answer to the question, which also wondered whether Wembanyama's offensive outburst came within the natural flow of the game, the Spurs' leading scorer addressed a bigger team need.
“Now, the challenge is to do it for 48 minutes.”
Though the Spurs raced out to a 15-point lead in that opening stanza, the T'Wolves closed to within four points at the end of one. They later tied the game in the third quarter before the Spurs ran away with the rest of the frame to take an 18-point advantage into the fourth in the eventual 126-97 blowout.
"It's super important for us…because it sets the tone…"
-talked with #VictorWembanyama about his start to G5 vs the #Timberwolves, when he scored 18 in the 1stQ for the #Spurs
⬇️ Full answer & more in @HalftimePizza (https://t.co/xyV5gjRpkq) S&B Report#PorVida#GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/apoWtjQUek
— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) May 13, 2026
Victor Wembanyama ‘feels good' in return
Within the t0ugh circumstances, the two-time NBA All-Star couldn't wait to return to competition.
“Very, very much. I mean, I was fresh, feeling good,” Wemby continued. “Honestly, it's hard to tell if it was just Game 5. Obviously I'm going to be excited. I'm going to have butterflies. So, excitement is not something abnormal at this point in the playoffs.”
Considering that the Game 4 ejection occurred with more than eight and a half minutes left in the second quarter, it's almost as if Wembanyama had a game off between the third and fifth contests of the series.
Article Continues Below
“I'm focused. I was focused on the game and now I'm focusing on the game in Minnesota. It's the playoffs. We've got to move on and I've got to care about my team.”
Wemby returns as Spurs defensive pillar
As he did through the first three games of the match-up, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year continued to anchor San Antonio's stifling defense.
“I would say it's an area where you need to be willing to do it, to make the sacrifices and to make the extra effort. It's been working pretty well. We can get better, but when we're locked in and apply the scouting, we're really, really good,” the NBA's league leader is blocks revealed.
For the third time in this series, the Spurs held the Timberwolves to under 100 points and that doesn't include the 104 they allowed in a narrow Game 1 loss. San Antonio has held opponents under the century mark in five of 10 playoff games.
Spurs Assistant Coach Sean Sweeney has largely been credited with their defensive improvements this season. After stints with five other NBA teams, Sweeney is in his first year in the Alamo City.
“Oh, all of it,” Wembanyama admitted about how much credit Sweeney should get for the team's success on that end of the court.
Sweeney is reportedly an option as other franchises look to fill head coaching vacancies.
Following the Game 4 ejection for an elbow to Naz Reid, Victor Wembanyama started Game 5 at a blistering pace vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves. The generational talent scored 16 points in the first 6:11 of the game before he went to the bench and eventually finished the first quarter with 18 points.