The San Antonio Spurs seemingly have found their stride after starting the campaign with two losses but will have to be even better on their execution when they host the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.
The Spurs return home carrying a three-game winning streak, with their most recent game a 117-111 road overtime victory against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. Victor Wembanyama racked up 36 points and 14 rebounds in the win, with Devin Vassell scoring 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and the extra period for the Spurs.
San Antonio’s trio of starting guards all hit for double figures as De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle scored 14 points each and Dylan Harper added 13 against the Jazz.
But it was the Spurs’ defense that keyed the win as San Antonio limited the Jazz to 2-of-7 shooting while forcing four turnovers in the extra period.
Asked what made the difference in overtime, Wembanyama pointed to the Spurs’ “persistence” and grit.
“We stepped up defensively — all of us,” Wembanyama added. “We had had enough of our mistakes.
“It’s definitely satisfying. We’re going to face a bunch of different scenarios in the season, and we had the answer (against the Jazz). Of course, we can always get better.”
Vassell, who is in his seventh NBA season, was a huge part of the Spurs’ decisive 12-0 run in overtime.
“Devin’s years being here give him this feeling of being sure of what he does,” Wembanyama said. “We got full trust in him.”
Saturday’s game is the first contest of a three-game homestand for the Spurs, who will face Utah on Monday and the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
The Timberwolves travel to San Antonio for the second of a home-road, back-to-back set on the heels of a 127-101 win at home over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. It was the first game in NBA Cup West Group B play for both teams.
LaMelo Ball led the way for the Timberwolves with 24 points. Jaden McDaniels added 23 points, Bones Hyland had 19, Ayo Dosunmu hit for 15 and Rudy Gobert took a game-high 13 rebounds.
“In the last game, we weren’t sharing the ball, wasn’t playing together, wasn’t playing on pace,” Hyland said. “We just had to get our swagger back, so that’s what we did [against the Clippers]. Everybody knew the ball was popping, so it felt good.”
The victory on Friday snapped a two-game losing streak for Minnesota and was the second without injured star guard Anthony Edwards. Edwards, who scored 47 points in an overtime road loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, underwent successful knee surgery on Thursday and could miss up to two months.
Edwards racked up a franchise-record 133 points in the Timberwolves’ first four games of the season.
“We’ll have to kind of fill that scoring void by committee,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “Certainly, spreading more shots around the team, everybody likes that. Obviously they’ve got to go in to make up the point difference.”
