The Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off a thrilling 104-102 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal matchup on Monday, getting a crucial boost from the unexpected return of star Anthony Edwards.
Edwards, who was expected to miss multiple weeks due to a bone bruise in his left knee suffered on April 25, came off the bench to contribute 18 points. Julius Randle paced Minnesota’s scoring effort with 21 points in the road victory.
The series continues Wednesday in San Antonio for Game 2, before shifting to Minneapolis for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday.
Minnesota head coach Chris Finch explained the decision to bring Edwards off the bench despite his return from injury.
“We talked yesterday that if he was able to go, he was going to come off the bench, and if that, you know, was fine with him,” Finch explained. “He was all in, and he did a really good job of, like, not like pushing and forcing things, even though he knew he was on a minutes restrictions. I thought he did a really good job of just staying in the flow.”
The Spurs held a three-point edge entering the final quarter, but Edwards took control early in the fourth period. He tallied 11 of Minnesota’s initial 19 points in the quarter, helping set up a decisive 7-0 stretch that Mike Conley finished with a three-pointer, giving the Timberwolves a commanding 95-86 lead with 4:42 remaining.
San Antonio fought back in the closing moments, with Victor Wembanyama’s slam cutting the deficit to four points with 43.6 seconds left. Dylan Harper then stole the ball and scored with 30.9 seconds remaining, bringing the Spurs within two points. After Randle missed a shot, San Antonio chose not to use a timeout and got the ball to Julian Champagnie, whose three-point attempt at the buzzer hit the front rim and bounced out.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson defended the final shot selection.
“Dylan did a good job pushing the ball and kicking it ahead. Julian had a fly-by and had a shot in rhythm. No problem with the shot. That was a great shot. I hope he shoots it every time,” Johnson said.
Jaden McDaniels and Terrence Shannon Jr. each added 16 points for the Timberwolves, while Naz Reid and Conley chipped in 12 points apiece. Randle and Rudy Gobert each pulled down 10 rebounds.
Randle emphasized the significance of stealing the opening game on the road.
“(Winning this game was) extremely important,” Randle stated. “That’s kind of a tone-setter for the series, especially being a road team for us to come out the way we did with composure, just playing good basketball. We felt like we left a lot out there. Feel like we can play a lot better.”
For San Antonio, Harper topped all scorers with 18 points, while Stephon Castle and Champagnie each contributed 17 points. Devin Vassell added 14 points, and Wembanyama achieved a triple-double with 11 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 blocked shots, though he struggled from three-point range, missing all eight attempts. Keldon Johnson also scored 11 points for the Spurs.
Johnson acknowledged Minnesota’s defensive prowess after the defeat.
“(Minnesota) did what they do — they’re physical, they guard the basketball really well, especially direct action, where it’s kind of mano a mano situations, they got guys that are capable of doing it, and they take a lot of pride in it,” the Spurs coach noted.
Minnesota grabbed an early 24-22 advantage after the first quarter, highlighted by Randle’s dunk over Wembanyama at the buzzer.
The second quarter featured multiple momentum swings, with San Antonio building a 35-29 lead following Luke Kornet’s free throws at the 6:38 mark. Minnesota responded with a 7-0 run, capped by Reid’s layup for a 36-35 advantage. The teams battled evenly through the remainder of the half, heading to the locker room deadlocked at 45-45.
Harper led all first-half scorers with 11 points, while Castle added 10 for San Antonio. Edwards, Reid, and Randle each scored seven points to pace Minnesota’s offense before halftime.
