NBA Playoffs: Victor Wembanyama drops 39 points as San Antonio Spurs take 2-1 series lead over Minnesota Timberwolves | NBA news
Victor Wembanyama delivered another masterpiece with 39 points, 15 rebounds and devastating defense for the San Antonio Spurs, who took a 2-1 lead in the second round NBA series with a 115-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Wembanyama went 13 of 18 from the floor and 10 of 12 from the line, adding five blocks and a solid night in the paint as the Spurs won their second straight game after dropping the home opener.
De’Aaron Fox scored 17 points, while Stephon Castle had 13 points and a team-high 12 assists and 17 rebounds.
Anthony Edwards had 32 points and 14 rebounds and Naz Reid added 18 points and nine rebounds for the Wolves, whose defense kept them alive after a rough start but allowed the Spurs to shoot 6 of 10 from 3-point range in a crucial third quarter.
Minnesota will host Game 4 on Sunday night. The series goes back to San Antonio for Game 5 on Tuesday.
Jaden McDaniels made a fifth Wembanyama foul with 6:18 left to put the Wolves within 99-98 with a free throw, but the Spurs never trailed in the second half despite never leading by double digits.
Iwembanyama did not give up even though they played badly, finishing with 16 points in the fourth quarter. His 3-pointer on Reid’s shot pushed San Antonio’s lead to six with 3:06 left. Reid attempted another near the end of the shot clock on the ensuing possession that hit the rim and Wembanyama again exploded.
Edwards, who showed Minnesota again his ability to heal quickly by returning from his sprained left knee just one week into the series, had 22 points in the first half to help them go on an 18-3 run.
“It was like holding a ship together. We were leading. We didn’t need to rush. We needed to be consistent,” said Wembanyama.
But it is Wembanyama, 22, who stole the show. Asked what they saw after such a game, his colleague Fox replied: “Greatness.”
“We all know that. We see him every day. We see the work and time he puts into his game and his body knowing that teams will come out here and try to train him.
“He fights with that, he doesn’t complain. He knows what he will put up with. He comes out here and produces.”
The Knicks advance to the Eastern Conference finals
Jalen Brunson scored 33 points and closed out the game with big late buckets to the delight of a roaring Knicks crowd, leading New York to a 109-94 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night to take a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.
Brunson shook off a 2-of-8 start from the floor and finished 11 of 22 in 38 minutes to send the Knicks to their sixth straight postseason victory.
“I’m Linus. Jalen is my blanket,” first-year Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “He helps me relax many different times during the game.”
With the 2016 and 2018 Villanova national banners hanging from the trees, the so-called Nova Knicks all took turns to take the fight out of the Sixers in the fourth quarter, turning a four-point lead into another double-digit victory.
Josh Hart had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Mikal Bridges added 23 points, pushing the Knicks within one win of a second straight conference finals appearance.
