On January 28th, Devin Vassell netted 25 points, Victor Wembanyama contributed 23 points and secured 10 rebounds, and Keldon Johnson clinched the decisive free throw, propelling the San Antonio Spurs to a remarkable 113-112 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. Despite trailing by 15 points, the Spurs mounted a comeback. The Timberwolves held a 12-point advantage at halftime and maintained a 90-80 lead entering the final quarter. However, San Antonio surged ahead, seizing a 93-92 lead with 8:42 remaining in the game following Doug McDermott’s 3-pointer.A long-range shot by Anthony Edwards at the 3:22 mark leveled the score at 107, just before Vassell scored a layup and Wembanyama made a 3-pointer, the latter at 1:55, giving the Spurs a five-point lead. Minnesota then countered with five consecutive points by Edwards, equalizing the score once more, leading to Johnson’s crucial free throw with 9.2 seconds left. Despite a timeout after Johnson’s missed second free throw, the Timberwolves had an opportunity to win the game, but Karl-Anthony Towns’ buzzer-beating step-back 3-pointer rattled out.
Johnson scored 14 points as a reserve for the Spurs, while Jeremy Sochan contributed 13, and Tre Jones tallied 12 points along with 11 assists. This match marked San Antonio’s second consecutive home game following their 116-100 victory over Portland on Friday. It marks only the third instance this season that San Antonio has secured back-to-back wins.
Edwards led all scorers with 32 points and also provided 12 assists. Rudy Gobert and Towns each contributed 19 points for Minnesota, with Naz Reid adding 13 off the bench and Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributing 11 points in the defeat.
The Spurs were ahead 20-17 following a layup from Blake Wesley with 6:34 left in the first quarter, but then Minnesota went on a 17-1 spree in the next five minutes, finishing with Edwards’ 3-pointer to take a 34-21 lead. With 8.8 seconds left in the quarter, Kyle Anderson’s putback increased the Timberwolves’ lead to 36-23 after the first 12 minutes.
Minnesota extended their lead to 15 points early in the second quarter, but the Spurs narrowed the gap to 40-34 thanks to Cedi Osman’s layup at the 8:11 mark. The Timberwolves then responded with a 9-2 run highlighted by a driving layup from Towns. Edwards contributed with a 3-pointer and a jumper, the latter with just 1.1 seconds remaining in the half, giving Minnesota a 64-52 lead at halftime.
At the midway point, Edwards led all scorers with 17 points, supported by Gobert’s 11 for Minnesota. Wembanyama led the Spurs with 16 points, while Vassell added 10 in the first half.
