French star Victor Wembanyama delivered a stellar performance to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a commanding 126-97 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, pushing the Spurs to a 3-2 series lead and putting them one win away from reaching the conference finals.
Wembanyama responded emphatically after being ejected in the previous game, posting 27 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 blocks. The 22-year-old became the third-youngest player in NBA playoff history to record such numbers, trailing only Magic Johnson and Luka Dončić.
Keldon Johnson added 21 points for San Antonio, while De’Aaron Fox contributed 18 points and Stephon Castle chipped in 17 points.
For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards scored 20 points, with Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels each adding 17 points in the losing effort.
The Spurs will look to close out the series on Saturday in Minneapolis in Game 6, where the winner will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
