San Antonio Spurs dominate in commanding win over Minnesota Timberwolves to take 3-2 lead

[p]French star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wembanyama-victor/jFmM1MFl/"]Wembanyama[/a] was back in the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-antonio-spurs/IwmkErSH/"]Spurs[/a] line-up after escaping a suspension for his ejection in game four on Sunday, when he smashed an elbow into the throat of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/minnesota-timberwolves/KjBIVQcI/"]Minnesota[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/reid-naz/zDWvtXt5/"]Naz Reid[/a] in a heavy defeat.[/p][p]The towering 7ft 4in center took full advantage of that disciplinary reprieve on Tuesday, scoring 16 points in a blistering opening to the first quarter as San Antonio surged into a 24-9 lead.[/p][p]Wembanyama finished the night with 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a typically dominant performance at both ends of the court.[/p][p]The victory leaves San Antonio [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/minnesota-timberwolves-KjBIVQcI/san-antonio-spurs-IwmkErSH/?mid=tIX8jmHN"]3-2 ahead in the best-of-seven series[/a], with game six in Minneapolis on Friday.[/p][embed guid="58252834-3d92-43a2-b6fb-83d064f19294" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2054394282774036684?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]While Wembanyama's individual brilliance grabbed the headlines, once again the Spurs' strength in numbers proved decisive, with six players finishing in double figures.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/johnson-keldon/xj823cMg/"]Keldon Johnson[/a] scored 21 points, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fox-de-aaron/Ysw8Hl5J/"]De'Aaron Fox[/a] finished with 18 and point guard [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/castle-stephon/Kzd3IGeT/"]Stephon Castle[/a] 17.[/p][p]"[b]We did what we were supposed to do at home[/b]," Wembanyama told NBC. "[b]We had to set the tone, we knew it was going to be a physical game.[/b][/p][p]"[b]We won, so that's the point. But the job's not finished. We've got one more game to get to the conference finals[/b]."[/p][p]Minnesota were left ruing their inability to maintain momentum after a stirring third-quarter fightback.[/p][p]Trailing 59-47 at halftime, Minnesota launched a 14-2 run to start the third that allowed them to tie it up at 61-61.[/p][p]But the Wolves' rally was the catalyst for another dominant passage of play from San Antonio, who regrouped and pulled away to take a 91-73 lead by the end of the quarter.[/p][p]San Antonio kept the points flowing in the fourth, outscoring Minnesota 35-24 to wrap up a deserved victory.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/edwards-anthony/6u0BMZM2/"]Anthony Edwards[/a] led Minnesota's scorers with 20 points while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcdaniels-jaden/0pp52ftg/"]Jaden McDaniels[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/randle-julius/lhl0euwn/"]Julius Randle[/a] finished with 17 points apiece.[/p]