Spurs young star ejected in Timberwolves playoff series tiebreaker

Minnesota Timberwolves Edge San Antonio Spurs in Western Conference Semifinals

The Minnesota Timberwolves secured a 114-109 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night at home, tying the Western Conference semifinals series at two games apiece. Anthony Edwards led the way with 36 points, scoring 16 of them in the fourth quarter.

Victor Wembanyama’s ejection in the second quarter proved to be a turning point for the Timberwolves. The Spurs star was called for a flagrant 2 foul after delivering an elbow into Naz Reid’s chin, resulting in his automatic ejection from the game.

The Timberwolves’ bench contributed significantly, with Naz Reid scoring 15 points and grabbing nine rebounds off the bench. Jaden McDaniels added 14 points, while Julius Randle scored 12 and Rudy Gobert had 11 points and 13 rebounds.

For the Spurs, De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper each scored 24 points, with Stephon Castle adding 20. Devin Vassell tallied 14 points for San Antonio.

Coach Chris Finch praised his team’s resilience, saying, “We never expected them just to go away.” He acknowledged that the Spurs are a “very good, very good team” who won a game in the Portland series without Wembanyama.

The Spurs trailed by seven with 29.1 seconds left but managed to bring the score within 112-109 on two free throws from Julian Champagnie. However, Ayo Dosunmu responded with two more free throws, securing the win for Minnesota.

Edwards attributed the Timberwolves’ victory to “small-time plays” that ultimately won the game. He praised his team’s ability to make key plays, including a great substitution by Finch in the final minutes of the game.

Source: Al Jazeera