The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the San Antonio Spurs 114-109 to even their playoff series at 2-2, a result largely shaped by the ejection of Spurs star Victor Wembanyama in the second quarter. Wembanyama was assessed a flagrant foul type 2 after his elbow struck Naz Reid’s chin with 8:39 remaining in the first half. At the time of his departure, the Timberwolves held a slim 36-34 lead.
Without the dominant presence who had been controlling the series almost at will, Anthony Edwards stepped up to seize control of the game. Edwards finished with 36 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, keeping his team alive and turning the best-of-seven series into a best-of-three. Both teams now need two more wins to reach the Western Conference Finals.
Edwards continued to make history with his scoring. He recorded his 18th postseason game with 30 or more points, tying Dwyane Wade for fourth on the all-time list, behind only Kevin Durant (22), Kobe Bryant (26), and LeBron James (30). Additionally, his 16-point fourth quarter gave him 302 points in fourth quarters of playoff games before turning 25, making him the sixth player to reach the 300-point mark in that category since 1997-98, joining Kobe Bryant (625), LeBron James (493), Jayson Tatum (388), Kevin Durant (388), and Dwyane Wade (357).
Edwards dedicated the win to his late mother, saying, “Today was Mother’s Day, and I just wanted to win for her.”
Without Wembanyama, who had recorded 19 blocks in the previous three games and altered countless shots, the Timberwolves managed to survive a potential elimination loss and turn the series around. Alongside Edwards, Naz Reid added 15 points and 9 rebounds, energized by the altercation with Wembanyama. Jaden McDaniels (14) and Julius Randle (12) also contributed, with McDaniels (41 minutes) and Edwards (40 minutes) playing heavy minutes in an eight-man rotation.
The Spurs, missing their star who had 4 points and 4 rebounds in 12 minutes, relied on a strong performance from Dylan Harper (24 points), De’Aaron Fox (24 points), and Stephen Castle (20 points), but they faltered in the final quarter as ‘Ant-Man’ took over. The game was tied at halftime (60-56), then the Spurs took an 84-80 lead into the fourth quarter after winning the third 28-20. However, the Timberwolves outscored them 34-25 in the final frame, led by Edwards. With five minutes left, Minnesota led by just one point, 98-97. Two minutes later, a three-pointer from Rudy Gobert (11 points, 13 rebounds) stretched the lead to 107-101. A rebound by Harper with 40 seconds left sealed the victory for the Timberwolves.
