Anthony Edwards came back to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves following two missed matches due to a foot issue. He achieved a new personal best of 55 points during an intense game against Victor Wembanyama. However, the San Antonio Spurs secured a 126-123 victory at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday evening.
Wembanyama delivered an outstanding performance for the host team, accumulating 39 points, 9 boards, and 2 rejections. A 20-foot shot from him with just 53.3 seconds left in the contest put San Antonio ahead permanently. The imposing 7-foot-4 talent also sank a free throw with 1.3 seconds remaining, establishing the ultimate three-point difference.
The Spurs established a 69-44 advantage by halftime, having surpassed the T-Wolves with a 48-22 score in the second period. This offensive burst featured 20 points from Wembanyama, who successfully landed three shots from beyond the arc in the last two minutes of that quarter.
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Entering the fourth quarter behind 96-84, Minnesota mounted a 20-9 scoring streak to move ahead 113-110, with Edwards contributing 13 points sequentially. However, Wembanyama leveled the score with a three-point shot and then converted two free throws to reclaim the lead for San Antonio.
Consecutive three-pointers by Donte DiVincenzo restored the T-wolves’ advantage to 119-118 with 1 minute and 3 seconds remaining in normal play. Nevertheless, Wembanyama’s 20-foot shot propelled the Spurs into a lasting lead. He then cemented this lead by swatting away Joan Beringer’s reverse layup effort.
Edwards connected on 19 out of 33 field goal attempts, including 9 successful three-pointers from 16 tries. He also converted 8 of his 10 free throws during the contest. The standout player for the T-wolves sat out Friday’s 110-105 defeat against the Houston Rockets but participated in the latter half of consecutive matches.
This Saturday’s encounter marked the third occasion this season that the T-wolves faced the Spurs in the second fixture of a scheduled back-to-back. Minnesota emerged victorious in the prior two clashes, with Edwards accumulating a total of 55 points. He equaled that entire sum in this single game.
De’Aaron Fox chipped in 25 points and 12 dimes for the Spurs, while Keldon Johnson contributed 20 points as a reserve. Following this triumph, the Spurs’ record now stands at 29-13, placing them in a tie with the Denver Nuggets for the second seed in the Western Conference rankings. Both teams trail the Oklahoma City Thunder by 5.5 games.
For Minnesota, Jaden McDaniels put up 23 points, along with 5 boards and 5 assists. Julius Randle chipped in an additional 17 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. The T-wolves have now suffered consecutive defeats and three losses in their most recent five outings. The loss on Saturday pushes their record to 27-16, yet Minnesota holds onto the fourth position in the Western Conference, a game clear of the Rockets.
