In an unexpected turn of events, the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the San Antonio Spurs 104-102 to open the Western Conference semifinals.
Despite a historic defensive performance from Victor Wembanyama, Minnesota overcame the odds to win the game and take a 1-0 lead in the series.
At the heart of this important triumph lies Anthony Edwards’ comeback from injury. Despite a bone bruise and a hyperextended knee in the previous round, Edwards made a surprising return. Coming off the bench, he scored 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting in just 25 minutes.
On the other hand, Spurs star Victor Wembanyama set an NBA postseason record with 12 blocks. He recorded a triple double, including 11 points, 15 rebounds and 12 blocks. With this spectacular defensive performance, Wembanyama became only the third player to achieve a block-based triple-double in playoff history.
The Timberwolves played without Donte DiVincenzo and Ayo Dosunmu. Julius Randle led the team with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Spurs also received strong contributions from Dylan Harper with 18 points, Julian Champagnie with 17 points and Stephon Castle with 17 points.
Antonio entered the match as a favorite with 10.5 points. Minnesota’s win marks the second-biggest playoff upset in Timberwolves franchise history. Game 2 takes place this Wednesday in San Antonio.
