Two days after his first career ejection, Victor Wembanyama made sure everyone in San Antonio remembered why he’s different.
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman delivered a masterclass in Game 5, posting 27 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks as the Spurs routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-97, taking a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Wembanyama torched Minnesota for 21 points in the first half, including a dominant six-minute stretch where he put up 16 points on his own. By the time Minnesota called their first timeout, he had single-handedly outscored the entire Timberwolves squad 16-11. The Wolves never recovered.
The Spurs dominated the paint all night, outscoring Minnesota 68-36 in that category, which ranks as San Antonio’s second-highest paint point total in a playoff game since 1998. It was a team effort too. De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson combined for 56 points to back up their star.
Wembanyama addressed the physicality and mind games from Minnesota after the game, saying the Wolves tried to rattle him but he chose to channel that frustration the right way. Teammate Stephon Castle said watching Wembanyama play with that level of maturity and aggression makes the Spurs extremely hard to beat.
With a 3-2 lead, the Spurs hold a 16-3 all-time record in best-of-seven series when up in this position. Game 6 tips off Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET at Target Center in Minneapolis, where a desperate Timberwolves squad will be playing in front of their home crowd with their season on the line.