Keldon Johnson had a lackluster outing in Game 2, although he followed it up with a steady performance in Game 3.
Keldon Johnson has been with the San Antonio Spurs for seven seasons. After last year, he became the longest-tenured player in franchise history to never make the postseason. In his rookie year, the Spurs snapped their 22-year playoff streak, a sore spot for the newest Sixth Man of the Year.
As the Spurs finally made it back to the postseason, newcomers like Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, and Mitch Johnson spoke about how much it meant to them. Their emotions paled in comparison to Johnson, who has bounced between franchise player, trade chip, fringe-roster guy, and now is the glue holding the team together.
In his first four career playoff games, against the Portland Trail Blazers, Johnson was a bit inefficient on offense, although his defense stepped up, and he was a force in the paint.
Against the Wolves, his offense once again took a back seat, though his defense also lagged behind. He's looking to turn that around as the Spurs put their foot on the gas.
Keldon Johnson Expects a Turnaround
In Game 2, the first game of the series that the Spurs won, Johnson made only two of his eight field goals. He did manage to corral ten rebounds, but in Game 1, he posted by far the worst plus-minus of anyone on the team.
Through two games, the series wasn't going how he wanted it to. Still, he's keeping his head up, understanding that there's no point in dwelling on the past.
"We take it one game at a time," Johnson said. "[Game 3] was our most important game of the series. [Game 4] is going to be an even bigger game for the series. So we know we've got to come with the intensity. We know that they're not going to just lay down and give us a game. So we just got to come locked in. And, you know, with the same mentality that we had these last two games, we've got to bring that into game four and be ready to go from the jump."
In Game 3, he offered an efficient eight points, although his plus-minus was once again the worst of anyone on the roster.
Johnson is no longer the leading scorer on the team, a role he had earlier in his career, but he is the Sixth Man of the Year, clearly one of the most important depth pieces in the league.
If the Spurs want to stamp out the Wolves and take a commanding 3-1 lead on Minnesota's home court, Johnson will have to play a massive role in that.