Anthony Edwards scored 18 points in his sudden return to lead Minnesota past San Antonio 104-102 in the Western Conference semifinals opener.
Anthony Edwards delivered 18 points in an unplanned return from injury as the Minnesota Timberwolves stunned the San Antonio Spurs with a 104-102 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday night. The win came despite a dominant defensive showing by Victor Wembanyama, who set an NBA postseason record with 12 blocks. Minnesota erased a late deficit when San Antonio cut the score to 104-102 with 31 seconds left, but Julian Champagnie’s buzzer-beating three missed, sealing only the second home series-opening loss for San Antonio in its last 17 appearances.
Victor Wembanyama dominated with 11 points and 15 rebounds while setting an NBA playoff record with 12 blocks, becoming the third player since 1973-74 to record a triple-double in the postseason that includes blocks. His defensive impact began immediately, swatting a pair of layups by Terrence Shannon Jr. within the first two possessions. Later, he rejected a driving layup by Rudy Gobert just under the rim, showcasing his shot-altering presence throughout. Wembanyama also came close to adding another block on Bones Hyland’s floater late in the third quarter, recovering mid-air to swipe it away for his 10th rejection.
Anthony Edwards was expected to miss at least the first two games of the series after suffering a bone bruise and hyperextending his left knee on April 25 during Minnesota’s opening-round win over Denver. Instead, he made a rapid recovery to return in Game 1 alongside injured guards Donte DiVincenzo (torn right Achilles tendon) and Ayo Dosunmu (right calf soreness). The oddsmakers projected San Antonio as a 10.5-point favorite, but Edwards quickly silenced doubts by hitting a step-back three early in the game and shouting toward the Spurs bench, 'I'm back! I'm back!' He did not start, entering with 6:53 left in the first quarter as Minnesota trailed 11-8, finishing 8-for-13 from the field in 25 minutes.
For Minnesota, Julius Randle topped the scoring sheet with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Edwards contributed 18 points to lead the offensive charge. The win tied for the second-largest playoff upset in franchise history for the Timberwolves, validating their resilience despite missing two starting guards. Minnesota’s balanced attack overcame San Antonio’s late surge, which included a steal by Devin Vassell and a layup by Dylan Harper to pull within two points with under half a minute remaining.
The Spurs’ season-opening home loss marked only their second setback in the last 17 series openers at their own arena. Dylan Harper led San Antonio with 18 points, while Julian Champagnie and Stephon Castle each added 17. Despite Wembanyama’s record-breaking performance, the Spurs fell just short as their late rally came up empty when Champagnie’s potential series-tying three clanked off the rim at the buzzer.