Two days after his first career ejection, Wembanyama had a historical stat line in San Antonio's win over the Timberwolves.
The question wasn’t whether Victor Wembanyama would respond to his first career ejection – rather, it was how. And did he respond. In the San Antonio Spurs’ 126-97 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves to take a 3-2 series lead, Wembanyama was spectacular and historic. He became the first player in the 3-point era to score 27 points and post 17 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in a playoff game. Some teammates thought he’d be fueled by anger, while others thought he’d display some maturity in getting back on the court. Wemby thought it was a mixture of both.
His 18 first quarter points tied for the most in a quarter in his postseason career, and he singlehandedly outscored the Timberwolves 16-11 before they called their first timeout. It was a strong start that encapsulated some emotions after coming back from a Game 4 loss to Minnesota in which Wembanyama was ejected for an elbow to Naz Reid’s jaw and neck, ultimately evening the series up before Tuesday’s showdown in San Antonio that saw the Wolves bring physicality while Wemby remained composed.
To read more about his stellar night and the ways in which San Antonio dominated, here’s the full story from Spurs Roundtable writer Nathan Karseno.
Wembanyama acknowledged a potential “rage bait” strategy by Minnesota he was able to stay calm through. San Antonio now has the edge as they are 16-3 in best-of-seven series with a 3-2 lead. They’ll now set their sights on Game 6 Friday at Target Center in Minneapolis.