The San Antonio Spurs erased the sting of their opening-game loss by crushing the Minnesota Timberwolves 133-95 on Wednesday night, evening the Western Conference semifinals at 1-1 at Frost Bank Center.
San Antonio stormed ahead 35-17 in the first quarter, held Minnesota to 18 points in the second and led by 24 at halftime. The gap ballooned to 47 in the second half before both coaches emptied their benches.
Minnesota committed 22 turnovers, converted just 9 of 30 attempts from beyond the arc and missed 26 of 44 shots in the paint against rookie center Victor Wembanyama’s rim protection. “We just got punked,” Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch told his players afterward.
Anthony Edwards, who warned teammates pregame that road teams often suffer letdowns in Game 2 after stealing the opener, finished with 19 points but faced constant double-teams once he crossed half court. “We came out cool,” he said. “My momma used to tell me a hard head makes a soft ass. That’s what happened tonight.”
Finch criticized his club’s response to San Antonio’s pressure, saying Minnesota’s ball-handlers “dribbled to tough spots” instead of moving the ball quickly. Forward Julius Randle, limited to 10 points and five turnovers, echoed the concern: “I’ve got to get a better position where I’m receiving the ball.”
Wing Jaden McDaniels supplied 12 points but again battled foul trouble, logging only 20 minutes after picking up early personals. Edwards stressed the importance of keeping McDaniels on the floor, noting, “We’re not going to win if he’s not on the court.”
Edwards, nine days removed from a hyperextended left knee and bone bruise, played 24 minutes after coming off the bench. He said the knee “feels good” and is prepared for a full workload when the series shifts to Minneapolis for Game 3. “Whatever’s required,” he said about potentially returning to the starting lineup.
The Spurs, who won 62 games during the regular season yet dropped Game 1 at home, will travel north with renewed momentum. “They were the more desperate team,” Edwards admitted. “We’ll see where it goes from here.”
Source: ESPN
