Can Minnesota push it to 7?
The Minnesota Timberwolves got run off the floor Tuesday night.
A 126-97 loss at Frost Bank Center put the sixth-seeded Wolves in a 3-2 hole against the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals, and the final score honestly flattered Minnesota a little.
Anthony Edwards still walked into his postgame press conference looking completely unbothered.
"Yeah, I don't see nobody in the locker room that's too worried," Edwards said. "At the end of the day, man, it's another basketball game. So you come out, put your boots on, and get ready to go to war."
Edwards Kept Fighting on a Tough Night
It was far from his best game, but Edwards still led Minnesota with 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting and went a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line in 39 minutes.
The Spurs threw double teams at him all night, which led to four turnovers and limited him to just 13 shot attempts.
For a four-time All-Star who averaged 28.8 points per game during the regular season on a 49-33 Timberwolves team, that volume is way too low.
San Antonio had the game in hand almost the entire way.
Victor Wembanyama, fresh off his ejection for elbowing Naz Reid in the jaw in Game 4, came out looking like he had something to prove and finished with 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
The 22-year-old Defensive Player of the Year had 18 in the first quarter alone, and Minnesota spent the rest of the night trying to dig out of that hole.
The Spurs were awesome in the regular season, and it showed Tuesday as they shot 52.8 percent from the field while holding the Wolves to 38.6 percent.
How Minnesota Can Force a Game 7
Minnesota actually clawed the game back to 61-61 early in the third quarter, but the Spurs ripped off a run right after and the Wolves had no answer for it.
That pattern has played out over and over in this series.
Ayo Dosunmu had 16 points and nine rebounds in Game 5, but Julius Randle is shooting just 36.6 percent from the field through five games after making 48.1 percent in the regular season, and that gap is hurting them badly.
Friday's Game 6 at Target Center is an elimination game, and Minnesota needs Randle to find his shot while figuring out how to get Edwards the ball without those doubles suffocating him every trip down.
Edwards showed in Game 4 what he can do when he gets going, dropping 36 and dragging Minnesota to a win after trailing in the fourth, so the ability is there when it clicks.
Two days off before Friday should help a roster that has been dealing with knee problems and general wear all postseason long.