Wolves Say Officials Missed Multiple Wembanyama Goaltends in Game 1
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San Antonio, May 5, 2026 — The Minnesota Timberwolves contend that several of Victor Wembanyama’s record-setting blocks in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals should have been ruled goaltending.
Wembanyama, the 7-foot-6 San Antonio Spurs center, finished Monday night with an NBA playoff–record 12 blocks in a 104-102 loss. Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said after Tuesday’s film review that “at least four, maybe five” of those rejections were illegal.
“Here’s a generational shot blocker who goes after everything, and there’s no heightened awareness that some of those plays could be goaltends?” Finch told reporters. He cited the third possession of the game, when Terrence Shannon Jr.’s layup attempt hit the backboard before Wembanyama swatted it away while the score was still 0-0.
Finch argued that four missed calls equate to eight points — “a massive number” in a two-point game. “That means 33 percent of his blocks were uncalled goaltends,” he added.
Additional plays that bothered Minnesota included Wembanyama’s second-quarter block of a Naz Reid hook shot, which appeared to be descending, and a first-quarter rejection of Rudy Gobert that the Timberwolves believe involved contact.
Gobert, Wembanyama’s French national team teammate and mentor, finished with one block. “He fouled me on the first one,” the 7-foot-1 veteran said, estimating that “probably three or four” of Wembanyama’s blocks were goaltends. Gobert ranks 24th all time in NBA blocks.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Wednesday night at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
Source: ESPN
