Spurs Stave Off Timberwolves, Secure Home Victory In Final Seconds
Going from facing one of the worst teams in the Western Conference to one of the best was a stark contrast for the San Antonio Spurs, but that was just how the schedule fell.
Luckily for San Antonio — which has struggled as the league's youngest team — it had some positive momentum from winning against Scoot Henderson and the Portland Trail Blazers. That certainly showed throughout the entire game, as San Antonio took control of the game late to stave off Minnesota.
A one-two punch from Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert led the way for the Timberwolves, as the pair combined for 51 points and 13 assists to help keep the Spurs just out of striking distance.
For San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama did his thing against his fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert, notching 23 points and 10 rebounds along with Devin Vassell, who scored 25 points of his own as the Spurs took a 113-112 over the Timberwolves.
Jan 27, 2024; San Antonio; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) drives to the basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first half at Frost Bank Center.
© Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
From the jump, Wembanyama and Karl Anthony-Towns — fresh off of a 60-point outing — went back and forth. The Timberwolves got out to an early lead and didn't look back, which resulted in a 13-point cushion heading into the second quarter.
Gobert picked up where he left off with a two-point shot as Minnesota continued to lay it on the Spurs. Doug McDermott hit a 3-point shot midway through the quarter to cut the Timberwolves' lead down to just 10 points, but despite the uptick in scoring from San Antonio, Minnesota only responded with points of its own.
And then the French phenom scored again. With help from Tre Jones, of course.
The Spurs continued their chase of the Timberwolves into the third quarter, as Wembanyama inched closer to his double-double. San Antonio headed to the final period down by 10 points and with Frost Bank Center behind them, the Spurs looked to take back the lead.
A quick 7-0 run to begin the fourth quarter helped them do just that. Within two-minutes, Minnesota's lead had slimmed to just three points, but after scoring to re-build it, Keldon Johnson responded with a 3-pointer that led to San Antonio's lead beginning at the seven-minute mark of the fourth.
From there, a back-and-forth ensued between the two squads, as Edwards, Gobert, Wembanyama and Vassell took turns having the lead. With only a minute to play, San Antonio had a narrow lead that eventually opened up to a five-point cushion.
Edwards brought the Timberwolves back to within two points as the free-throw game began. Wembanyama missed a pair of shots from the charity stripe, which allowed Minnesota to tie the game at 112 a piece.
And to finish it out, Johnson's made free throw sealed the deal as Towns' missed shot gave San Antonio the 113-112 home victory.
With the win, the San Antonio Spurs improve to 9-36 on the season and nabbed a win over one of the West's top talents. They built off of their momentum against Portland in the game prior and now look ahead to another home test, this time against the Washington Wizards.
Tipoff from Frost Bank Center is set for 7 p.m. CST Monday.
