The NBA announced Tuesday that Victor Wembanyama became the third-youngest player ever to record a special stat line in the San Antonio Spurs‘ 126-97 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of the West semifinals.
Wembanyama had 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and three blocks, besides being a team-high +24 on the floor, as the Spurs took a 3-2 series lead over the Timberwolves.
Per the NBA:
In tonight’s Game 5 win, Victor Wembanyama (22yr, 128d) became the 3rd youngest player in NBA history to record 25+ PTS, 15+ REB, and 5+ AST in a postseason game.
He trails only:
Magic Johnson (20yr, 276d)
Luka Dončić (21 yr, 177d)Spurs take a 3-2 series lead in Round 2
Victor Wembanyama Bounces Back
Tuesday’s performance was particularly special because Wemby faced intense media scrutiny after he avoided suspension for throwing an errant elbow to the jawline and neck of Timberwolves big man Naz Reid in Game 4, which resulted in his ejection. Many analysts felt Wembanyama should have been suspended for his actions, citing similar past playoff incidents that led to harsher punishments.
Wemby set the tone from the get-go for the Spurs in Game 5, posting 16 points within the first six minutes of the game and 18 points in just the first quarter. Per ESPN Research, his 18 points were tied for the fifth-most points in a playoff quarter by a Spurs player in the play-by-play era (since 1998). The Defensive Player of the Year also made an immediate impact on the defensive end, holding the Timberwolves to 3-of-11 shooting as the primary defender through the first two quarters.
“It’s super important for us the way we started the game because it sets the tone,” Wemby said after the win, via ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
“I was fresh, feeling good. Honestly, it’s hard to tell if it was just Game 5. Obviously, I’m going to be excited. We’re going to have butterflies. Excitement is not something abnormal at this point in the playoffs.”
Spurs Take 3-2 Lead
The San Antonio Spurs are just a win away from returning to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2017. If they can finish off the Timberwolves, Wemby and Co. will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning NBA champions, in the next round.
However, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson knows the Timberwolves won’t go down without a fight and realizes that Game 6 in Minneapolis will be tough to get. To that end, Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards said his team was “not worried” about going down 3-2, and all but guaranteed that they would force a Game 7.
“I don’t see nobody in our locker room that’s too worried,” Edwards said after the Game 5 loss, via ESPN’s Anthony Slater. “There’s another basketball game. Come out, put your boots on and get ready to go to war.”
Edwards had special praise for Wemby.
“Some of the stuff Wemby was doing you don’t really have too much of an answer for,” Edwards said of the Spurs phenom. “You just hope he misses.”
The Spurs are 16-3 in best-of-seven series when leading 3-2, a historical datapoint that suggests they are primed for the West Finals. Spurs vs Timberwolves Game 6 tips off at 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday. The additional one-day rest could help the home team.
NBA Announces Major Victor Wembanyama News After Spurs Take 3-2 Lead