The San Antonio Spurs are now just one victory away from the Western Conference Finals, rolling past the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-97 in Game 5 of their semifinals series at Frost Bank Center on Tuesday night.

San Antonio quickly created separation with a 15-2 burst early in the first quarter to take a 24-9 lead. Back in the starting lineup after his Game 4 ejection, Victor Wembanyama came out aggressively and overwhelmed Minnesota from the opening tip. The Spurs continued to build momentum in the second period, opening with a 9-0 run before stretching the margin to 18 points after a Harrison Barnes setup led to a powerful Wembanyama dunk.

Minnesota managed to fight back before halftime and briefly erased the deficit in the third quarter, with the Timberwolves opening the second half with a 14-2 run to tie the game at 61-61. The Spurs, however, answered immediately and responded with another explosive stretch, ripping off nine straight points and later closing the third quarter on a 19-6 run to take full control at 98-71. From there, the Timberwolves never seriously challenged again.

In total, Wembanyama scored 16 of San Antonio’s first 24 points in the first six minutes and finished the opening quarter with 18 points and six rebounds. By the end of the night, Wembanyama had delivered a dominant all-around performance with 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks, controlling the game on both ends of the floor.

In addition to Wembanyama’s stellar performance, Stephon Castle added 17 points, six assists, four rebounds, and three steals for the Spurs, while shooting efficiently from the field. Keldon Johnson supplied 21 points off the bench, continuing his strong postseason play, while rookie Dylan Harper contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes. De’Aaron Fox also chipped in 18 points as San Antonio dominated.

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 20 points, while Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels each scored 17.

With Tuesday’s win, San Antonio grabbed a 3-2 advantage in the Western Conference semifinal series and can eliminate Minnesota in Game 6 on the road. The winner of the matchup will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the conference finals.

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