The Spurs did almost everything needed to survive a weird Game 1. Victor Wembanyama broke the NBA playoff record with 12 blocks, the game had 19 lead changes, and Julian Champagnie had a clean look to win it at the buzzer.
Still, the Timberwolves left Frost Bank Center with a 104-102 win, a 1-0 series lead, and the more important thing: proof they can score enough even when Wembanyama turns the paint into a dead end. Game 2 is Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET, again at Frost Bank Center.
Anthony Edwards was supposed to be limited, maybe even unavailable. Instead, he came off the bench, played 25:15, scored 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and put up 11 points in the fourth quarter. Julius Randle gave the Timberwolves 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Jaden McDaniels added 16 points. For the Spurs, Dylan Harper led with 18 points off the bench, Champagnie and Stephon Castle scored 17 each, and Wembanyama finished with 11 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 blocks.
The opener was not pretty for the Spurs’ stars. Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox combined for only 21 points on 10-of-31 shooting, missed all 12 of their threes, and had nine turnovers. That is the Game 2 adjustment. The Spurs do not need a new identity. They need their two best offensive players to make normal shots and stop giving away possessions.
Injury Report
Spurs
Carter Bryant: Questionable (right foot sprain)
Timberwolves
Donte DiVincenzo: Out (right Achilles tendon repair)
Ayo Dosunmu: Questionable (right calf injury maintenance)
Anthony Edwards: Questionable (left knee bone bruise)
Why The Spurs Have The Advantage
The Spurs’ biggest advantage is that Game 1 was there, even with their worst offensive version. Wembanyama shot 5-of-17, Fox shot 5-of-14, and the Spurs still lost by only two. That should give them confidence, not panic. If either star is closer to normal in Game 2, the math changes fast.
The first adjustment is where Wembanyama catches the ball. In Game 1, he took eight threes and missed all of them. Some were good looks, but the Timberwolves were fine with him spending possessions away from the rim. The Spurs need more elbow catches, more quick seals, and more actions where Wembanyama catches on the move. If he is only spacing, Rudy Gobert can stay connected, and the Timberwolves can live with the result.
Fox is the bigger urgency point. He was blanketed by McDaniels for long stretches, went scoreless in the first half, and finished with six turnovers. Fox said after the game that the turnovers bothered him more than the misses, and that is the right read. The Spurs need him attacking earlier in the clock, before the Timberwolves’ help can load up.
The Spurs also won several areas that should matter again. They had 27 fast-break points, 24 assists, and only gave up 10 points off turnovers despite the mistakes. Their defense was good enough to win. Their transition game was good enough to win. Game 2 is about getting a cleaner half-court creation late.
Why The Timberwolves Have The Advantage
The Timberwolves have the advantage because they already stole the game the Spurs should have taken. That matters. Winning on the road while shooting only 45.6% from the field and 57.1% at the line is not a perfect offensive night, but it was enough because they stayed composed late.
The Game 2 adjustment is not avoiding Wembanyama completely. That is impossible. It is changing the type of attempts around him. Chris Finch has already questioned whether several blocks should have been called goaltends, but the basketball point is bigger: the Timberwolves need more floaters, kickouts, and extra passes before they challenge Wembanyama at the rim.
Edwards is the emotional swing. He did not look fully explosive in Game 1, but he still gave the Timberwolves 18 points and their best fourth-quarter scoring. If he is available again, even in a bench role, the Spurs cannot load everything toward Randle and McDaniels. His presence alone changes how the Spurs defend late.
The Timberwolves also won the glass, 46-47 in total rebounds, which was nearly even, but they created 20 second-chance points to the Spurs’ 13. In a two-point game, that is enormous. Gobert, Randle, Naz Reid, and McDaniels have to keep making the Spurs finish possessions with bodies on them.
X-Factors
Dylan Harper is already more than a rookie bench story. He led the Spurs with 18 points, four rebounds, and four assists in Game 1, and Express-News noted that the Spurs trusted him enough to close. If Harper keeps giving them downhill offense, the Spurs can survive rougher Fox stretches.
Julian Champagnie is the other Spurs swing piece. He had 17 points, seven rebounds, and three threes in Game 1, then missed the potential winner at the buzzer. That miss should not hide the larger point: he was one of the Spurs’ best floor spacers. If the Timberwolves shrink the paint again, Champagnie has to keep firing.
Naz Reid is the Timberwolves’ most important bench big. He had 12 points and nine rebounds in Game 1, and his spacing helps pull the Spurs’ second unit away from the rim. If Reid wins non-Gobert minutes, the Timberwolves can protect Edwards and Dosunmu physically without losing offense.
Mike Conley is not a volume scorer anymore, but Game 1 showed his value. He had 12 points and six assists, hit four threes, and settled the Timberwolves when the Spurs made runs. In Game 2, his decision-making against pressure may be just as important as Edwards’ scoring.
Prediction
The Timberwolves earned Game 1, but the Spurs have the clearer bounce-back case. Wembanyama and Fox were too poor offensively for that to feel repeatable, and the Spurs still had a shot to win at the buzzer. Edwards’ status makes this dangerous, but I trust the Spurs’ Game 2 adjustments: more Wembanyama touches inside the arc, fewer Fox turnovers, and another strong defensive night at home.
Prediction: Spurs 107, Timberwolves 101
