Wolves down 2-1 to the Spurs despite comeback following slow start

The Minnesota Timberwolves fought back all night, but the San Antonio Spurs made the timely plays late to secure a 115-108 victory in a game that felt much closer than what the final score showed.

The Spurs controlled the opening quarter of Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals, jumping out early while the Wolves struggled to find rhythm offensively, opening the game shooting 0-12. Minnesota opened missing open looks, forcing contested runners in the paint, and struggling to finish at the rim against Victor Wembanyama’s length. Minnesota Coach Chris Finch pointed to those missed opportunities early.

“I thought we took a bunch of challenged runners into the paint. And when we did have a clean layup, we didn’t finish very well or at all,” said Finch. 

Despite the rough start, the Timberwolves didn’t fold. Minnesota clawed its way back behind Anthony Edwards’ aggressive downhill attack and a much better driving-and-kicking offensive flow. Edwards emphasized how difficult it is attacking a defense anchored by Wembanyama. 

“They got somebody who’s seven-six on the floor. And he takes up a lot of space … just trying to figure out ways to find an open man around him, because in the paint, he’s just everywhere,” said Edwards. 

That adjustment sparked Minnesota’s offense throughout the middle portions of the game. The Wolves repeatedly attacked the lane, kicked the ball out, and generated quality looks from deep. Edwards believed the process was there even if the results ultimately weren’t.

“I feel like we had a bunch of great looks and if we make our shots, we win this game,” said Edwards, who ended with 32 points. 

The game shifted in the third quarter when San Antonio caught fire from beyond the arc. Finch pointed directly to transition breakdowns and defensive mistakes that allowed the Spurs to create separation. 

“They had a hot third quarter … I think they had six or seven threes in the third quarter. So that was about transition, getting matched up early,” Finch explained.

Minnesota’s inability to consistently get stops at key moments proved costly. Finch broke down several defensive lapses that hurt the Wolves throughout the night, including missed coverages and poor positioning. 

“It was just bad routes … Rudy (Gobert) decides to go under the flare screen, that was a three. A lot of the little things weren’t on point when they needed to be,” said Finch.

Foul trouble and free throws also became a major factor. Edwards felt Minnesota helped San Antonio by sending Wembanyama to the line too often instead of forcing tougher shot attempts. “We bailed him out a couple times. He shot 12 free throws … a lot of those shots were gonna be bad shots if you make it, you make it. But we fouled him a whole lot of times,” said Ediwards. 

Naz Reid helped fuel Minnesota’s resilience off the bench, continuing to provide energy during key stretches of the comeback. Reid described the Wolves’ mentality after falling behind early and speaking to the future of the series.

“We’ve never been a team to just roll over. I know that for a fact,” said Reid after the Wolves fell into a 1-2 series hole. 

Edwards’ performance was one of the biggest positives for Minnesota. Finch praised his young star who is coming off a knee injury that many thought may keep him out of the series or severely limit him. 

“It (Edwards’ performance) was awesome. It was great. He needed that, we needed that … unfortunately we couldn’t get the result that went along with it,” said Finch. 

One of the biggest bright spots for the Timberwolves in Friday night’s game was Terrence Shannon Jr. And while the box score may not fully reflect his impact, his presence absolutely changed the energy of the game.

Shannon brought a level of toughness, pace and defensive intensity that Minnesota desperately needed, especially during the stretches where they were trying to claw their way back into the game. Defensively, he was everywhere, taking charges, getting deflections, disrupting passing lanes and forcing the Spurs out of rhythm. Those hustle plays may not always headline stat sheets, but they shifted the momentum multiple times throughout the night.

The biggest takeaway moving forward: Minnesota still only lost by seven despite not playing anywhere close to their best basketball collectively. The Timberwolves missed open shots, struggled defensively in stretches, dealt with foul trouble and never truly found a consistent rhythm for all four quarters, yet they were still within striking distance for most of the night.

The Timberwolves now head into the next matchup on Sunday knowing the margin for error remains slim. The offensive adjustments showed promise, especially with the driving-and-kicking action creating open looks, but defensive discipline, transition coverage and avoiding unnecessary fouls will be critical if Minnesota hopes to bounce back and tie the series.