'So Dominant' | Wemby's Monster 43-Point Game Pushes Spurs Past Timberwolves on Halloween

SAN ANTONIO -- Victor Wembanyama arrived at the Frost Bank Center on Halloween dressed as monster-slayer Geralt of Rivia, and his monster game pushed the Spurs past the Timberwolves 121-111.

Wembanyama finished with 43 points, seven rebounds, and six blocks. Dylan Harper set a regular-season career high with 25 points, while De'Aaron Fox led the team in assists and rebounds while scoring 22 points on just 10 shots. Less discerning in his shot selection was Wembanyama, who set a new career high with 34 attempts.

At the start of this season, Wembanyama said he plays better when he's having fun, and a huge part of the draw of his game is that at times, he chooses the most fun option instead of the most practical one. Wembanyama's coaches and teammates trust him in those moments, and it's easy to do because he knows that nothing is more fun than winning.

"It's pattern recognition," Wembanyama said. "The brain, after playing so many games, I mean, literal hundreds of games now in the NBA, the brain knows what kind of game to go toward to have fun. Whenever we don't score, it's like a negative feedback. Whenever we score or get good results, it's positive feedback to the brain. Over time, you recognize patterns and you err towards those patterns. It's always ups and downs, but we're trending in the right direction."

"We want to just try to make sure we can get the best shot in every possession, and that's never going to happen," Mitch Johnson said after the game. "But I think if you just constantly keep that at the front of your brain and at the at the forefront of the conversation, and if everybody, for the most part, over time is putting their energy into that, you'll land in a pretty good spot."

On one play in the first half Wembanyama blocked a shot at one end and called for the ball at the arc in transition. He'd already tried a few quick jumpers at that point, making his pump fake from that spot even more believable. He took one dribble and a few steps and forced the ball down.

JUST NASTY ‼️

📺 @DAZN pic.twitter.com/TjkJ6Uy4Qh
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 1, 2026

So much of Wembanyama's success this year has come as a result of his ability to get to the rim and finish there, but in this game he forced up some jumpers that didn't go. He stuck with it even when it wasn't working, and he didn't let four misses from deep stop him from taking and making some deep ones at the end of the half.

"He's just so dominant," Harper said. "I feel like he goes out there and when he puts his imprint on the game, he's unstoppable, and he did that tonight from the jump to end of the game. So I mean, hey, I was okay with him taking those shots. Those are all good looks, and my biggest thing with him is just if you're gonna take the shot, take it, be confident."

W3MBY 👌

📺 @DAZN pic.twitter.com/gUGNHvnEuI
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 1, 2026

The Spurs listed Stephon Castle as questionable with a migraine, and though he played it did look like he was gutting out a shift with a bad headache. He didn't attempt a shot in the first half, and finished with no points, six rebounds and four assists.

"A lot of people wouldn't have went into work if they were feeling like Steph Castle," Johnson said afterward. "And sometimes in the sport, it doesn't get enough attention or enough notoriety. Steph Castle clocked in for work tonight, and we needed every second of it."

In the second half Dylan Harper dove for a loose ball and took a shot from Jonathan Kuminga. A few plays later, Harper got the ball in transition and threw down one of the most mean-spirited dunks you could hope to see.

WATCH YA HEAD DYLAN 😤

📺 @DAZN pic.twitter.com/J9JJi5TrjZ
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 1, 2026

"I love games like this," Harper said. "I love games where the other team starts talking first because when you respond, it's not your fault when you talk... the competitive nature that the Timberwolves brought kind of brings the best out of us. And obviously, when a team's that competitive, it brings the best out of me."

The Spurs did a better job of getting Wembanyama the ball as close to the basket as possible, spamming pick-and-roll lobs at a Gobert-less Timberwolves defense.

"His screening and commitment to it has been spectacular," Johnson said of his star big man. "It causes a lot of gravity, and sometimes you can't get to the vertical gravity of it, so it's on his teammates continuing to trust that pass. It's on his teammates continuing to space properly around him, and it's on him continuing to impose his will, whether it's rolling or running in transition. And at times, I think even his drives are with a lot more force, and it's a welcome sight to see."

"That's probably the most lobs I've ever had," Harper said afterward. "That's probably the most lobs we ever threw as a team, between me, Steph, Fox, and and Devin. I mean, we all kind of just threw it up there and just, 'big fella up there and just throw it.'"

On the Minnesota side of the ledger, LaMelo Ball turned himself into a non-factor with a rather entertaining lowlight reel. He took an impromptu piggyback ride on Wemby, then spat on the floor after picking up his fourth foul in the first half. He finished the game with 10 points on 2-10 shooting and four assists to five turnovers, fouling out in the fourth after driving at Wembanyama.

The Timberwolves kept it pretty close in the first three quarters despite their availability issues, but the Spurs cranked the volume up in the arena as they started to pull away in the fourth. Harper kept his foot on the gas, drilling a triple and then feeding Devin Vassell for an and-1 in transition to put the Spurs up 13.

Minnesota clawed back in the non-Wemby minutes and cut their deficit to four before Wembanyama returned and immediately made an impact, blocking a shot and then slamming down a transition dunk.

As the minutes ticked down, De'Aaron Fox took control. he slithered to the rim in pick and roll, finishing with craft and touch. The Spurs outscored Minnesota by a team-high 23 points with Fox on the floor.

It's the fourth win in a row for San Antonio after they stumbled out of the gate to start the season.

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