Spurs' Mitch Johnson: Timberwolves 'Got the Better of Us' in Fourth-Quarter Loss

SAN ANTONIO — A bout of inefficient shooting befell the San Antonio Spurs' offense on the road facing the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday evening.

"There's a lot of things, holistically, that we can be better at," Harrison Barnes leveled. "It starts with communication ... getting out to shooters ... sticking with the game plan."

A 33-year-old Barnes served as the lone voice for the Spurs after their 104-103 loss to the Timberwolves in which they had three attempts at a game-winning basket on the final possession. Slowing down Anthony Edwards sat atop the list of priorities, but a secondary issue quickly revealed itself as both teams locked horns.

Mitch Johnson laid it out clean.

"They're very physical," the coach said. "That isn't something where we're outmatched to the point where we have to counter other than being physical back."

Jan 11, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) shoots the ball over San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) in the second half at Target Center. | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Edwards finished the game with a team-high 23 points, including the go-ahead two-pointer, in a game without Chris Finch, who was absent from the sidelines because of an illness. On the contrary, San Antonio struggled to find its spots in half-court offense.

The lauded guard trio of Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper — all used to reaching the paint at will — combined for just 32 points in the paint and shot 23 percent from the field. Fox missed a game-winning 3-pointer to cement the loss; the other two were given a pass because of their relative inexperience.

"There's some stuff that they just have to go through," Johnson admitted. "That's part of the deal when you're 19 and 21 in this league."

Victor Wembanyama, back in the starting lineup for the first time since New Year's Eve, notched 29 points, seven rebounds and three steals on the evening. His mid-range jump shot in the final seconds came up short, allowing Minnesota to complete a 19-point comeback.

Missed box outs and missed shots made it an unacceptable loss.

"If we're going to lose a game, it's going to have to be because ... they did what we wanted them to do," Barnes said, adding that the Spurs are working to minimize lackadaisical errors, "rather than it (being) just a breakdown. A forgotten box-out ... things like that."

Jan 11, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) holds the ball as San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) plays defense in the first half at Target Center. | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

With the loss, San Antonio fell to 27-12 on the season — 5.5 games behind the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and one game in front of the Nikola Jokić-less Denver Nuggets. Its next test waits in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

The easy thing for the Spurs to do is point to the final possession against the Timberwolves as a missed opportunity. Instead, they'll look at what transpired in the time leading up.

"They got the better of us, for sure, in the fourth quarter," Johnson said.

The only silver lining, then, is what lessons were learned: more physicality, better efficiency and a glaring need to return to offensive form.

"In that second half, there was a lot that we can take away," Barnes said, "in terms of us getting away from our standard of play."

Said Fox: "We have to ... finish games. We have to be able to put a team away."

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