Spurs tame T-Wolves to move a win away from WCF berth

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The San Antonio Spurs dismantled the Minnesota Timberwolves, 126-97, in Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals on May 13, 2026, at the Frost Bank Center in Texas.

With the wire-to-wire win, San Antonio broke the series deadlock to go up 3-2, moving a win away from returning to the Western Conference Finals after a nine-year postseason drought.

After missing the majority of the Game 4 loss due to suspension, Victor Wembanyama returned and made up for his unsportsmanlike behavior with an MVP-caliber performance in Game 5.

Wembanyama immediately torched the whole Minnesota squad with 16 quick points in the first quarter alone, resulting in an early one-sided showing as the Spurs raced to a commanding 15-point lead.

The Timberwolves were able to recover and trim their deficit to single digits, but another offensive avalanche from De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, and Keldon Johnson put the Spurs ahead by 12 points at the half, 59-47.

A thrilling game of scoring runs highlighted the intense third quarter as Anthony Edwards and Ayo Dosunmu sparked a much-needed 14-2 lift that helped the Timberwolves tie the game at 61-all.

However, San Antonio immediately regained its footing with an 11-2 response, building a 72-63 advantage behind Castle’s aggressiveness in getting to the cup.

Unfortunately, that 14-2 run at the start of the third quarter was the only shining moment from Minnesota, as Wembanyama’s paint defense, backed by San Antonio’s pesky guards, limited the Timberwolves to just 24 points in the next 13 minutes of action.

The Spurs ballooned their largest lead of the ballgame to 30 points midway through the final frame, forcing Minnesota head coach Chris Finch to throw in the towel with five minutes still remaining in the game.

Aside from Wembanyama’s return, San Antonio’s dominance in the shaded lane was also the difference-maker, as they outscored Minnesota in the paint, 68-36.

It wasn’t only Wembanyama who feasted inside, but also Harper.

A veteran bulldozer trapped in a rookie’s body, Harper didn’t back down from the pressure and muscled his way against Minnesota’s bruising frontcourt rotation, especially at the start of the fourth quarter, when Wembanyama had his short breather on the bench.

Wembanyama led the San Antonio charge with an all-around outing of 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting, alongside 17 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks.

Johnson, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, had his best scoring performance in the ongoing playoffs, dropping 21 markers, two steals, and one block.

Fox delivered 18 points, Castle had 17, and Harper dished out a strong double-double performance of 12 markers, 10 rebounds, two dimes, one steal, and one block.

On the other hand, the Timberwolves received balanced scoring from their core, but Edwards, who exploded for 36 points during the Game 5 win, was held to just 20 points on 13 attempts.

As the series shifts to Minnesota, San Antonio will hunt for its first Western Conference Finals trip in nine years on May 16, 2026, while the Timberwolves aim to force a do-or-die Game 7 with a Game 6 win at home.