Victor Wembanyama bounced back after an ejection in Game 4, starring as the Spurs beat the Timberwolves again to move one win from the West semis.
A dramatic course-correction in the span of two days has Spurs fans leaning toward the conference finals again, with Victor Wembanyama leading the way after Game 4 heartbreak.
San Antonio’s second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves shifted sharply after Game 4, when Wembanyama was ejected.. The Spurs lost that game 114-109, and the dismissal hung over the franchise’s immediate future.. Wembanyama played only 12 minutes. finishing with four points. four rebounds. and two turnovers—numbers that were quickly scrutinized once he was shown the door.
But instead of spiraling into the kind of reaction that can derail momentum, Wembanyama reset for Game 5. The message was clear from the opening minutes at Frost Bank Center: the Spurs were going to respond, and the star at the center of their offense would be a central figure again.
That response arrived in emphatic fashion on Tuesday, when San Antonio delivered a 29-point win over the Timberwolves. With that victory, the Spurs moved to within one win of advancing to the conference finals for the first time since 2017—an extended wait now hanging on a single outcome.
Wembanyama produced a game-high stat line that reflected both scoring and impact at the rim. He posted 27 points, pulled down 17 rebounds, and added three blocks. He also showed playmaking and efficiency, recording five assists and shooting 9-of-16 from the field, including two three-pointers.
That kind of two-way output did not arrive as a simple rebound from a tough moment; it came alongside a broader statement about composure.. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson highlighted that theme directly after Game 5. praising Wembanyama’s approach over the previous 48 hours and pointing to the way he played “in a variety of ways” and “in a variety of situations.” Johnson’s message. as reported in the postgame conference. was that Wembanyama’s performance carried a “mature” edge.
What made Game 5 particularly striking was the contrast with what came before it.. Wembanyama’s Game 4 ejection came in the second quarter for elbowing Naz Reid in the neck.. After the Spurs fell in that contest. online criticism and questions from pundits followed the incident. adding pressure precisely because the series was at such a critical stage.
Still, Wembanyama did not focus publicly on the dismissal itself.. He stayed quiet on his ejection and chose instead to concentrate on the mission ahead. emphasizing that “the job is not finished.” In practical terms. that mindset has given San Antonio a path forward that now feels far more tangible than it did immediately after Game 4.
The Spurs’ next step is already scheduled: they can eliminate Minnesota in Game 6. San Antonio will host the Timberwolves at Target Center on Friday with a chance to secure their first conference finals berth since 2017, turning the rebound from Game 4 into a full series closing statement.
For the Spurs, the implications of Game 5 go beyond one dominant performance.. When a player who was removed from the floor early in the previous game returns with scoring. rebounding. rim protection. and a touch of perimeter shooting. it changes how an opponent has to plan the remainder of the series—especially when the margin for error is shrinking.
And for Wembanyama, the larger storyline is how the moment was absorbed rather than avoided.. The ability to come back immediately from an ejection. respond under heightened scrutiny. and produce in multiple facets is exactly the sort of composure that can define postseason legacies. particularly when a franchise has not been this close in years.
Victor Wembanyama San Antonio Spurs Minnesota Timberwolves Game 5 Game 6 NBA playoffs conference finals