When Victor Wembanyama was ejected from Sunday’s game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs, there was a sigh of relief inside Target Center. Wembanyama willed the Spurs to victory with multiple big shots during Game 3 of the series, and without his presence in the paint, it helped the Wolves get to the rim more frequently in the 114-109 victory.
While Wembanyama’s absence helped the Wolves, it also exposed one of their biggest flaws. The Spurs didn’t roll over when Wembanyama was called for a Flagrant Foul 2 in the second quarter and even had a 94-86 lead with 8:51 left before Minnesota came storming back late in the fourth quarter.
With that, Wolves fans may have a sense of concern with Wembanyama expected to return in Game 5 on Tuesday night. But it also may not be worth worrying, as the Wolves may be more locked in going against the best an opposing team has to offer.
Timberwolves should be locked in after nearly letting Game 4 slip away
Wolves fans know this narrative throughout the season. The Wolves are a good team and one capable of making a run to their third straight Western Conference Finals. But there are times when their focus seems to waver and allow inferior teams to stay in a game they shouldn’t be in.
A 116-110 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 17, a 123-107 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 27 and a 126-102 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on New Year’s Eve were some of the troubling losses in the first half of the season and the trend continued in January with losses to the Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls during a season-high five-game losing streak.
Another loss to the Grizzlies on Feb. 2 and a home loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Feb. 6 are also lowlights in what has been a successful season, and maybe cost the Wolves a chance for a higher seed as they make their playoff run.
And in some ways, those losses were hanging in the air as the Wolves looked like they were playing the Washington Wizards on a Tuesday night in January after Wembanyama left Sunday’s game.
The Wolves have played better when they're challenged against the league's best teams all season long, and Wemby's return could help them play at their best.
The guard play was one factor as De’Aaron Fox stepped up with 24 points, and Dylan Harper stepped up off the bench with 24 points and seven rebounds. Luke Kornet suddenly looked like a starting center for the Monstars with seven points, nine rebounds, and strong interior defense, which helped San Antonio earn a game-high 91.7 percent win probability when Jaden McDaniels missed a 3-pointer with 7:57 to play, according to ESPN’s GameCast.
Coming off a Game 3 when Wembanyama finished with 39 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks, it could be easy to see why there can be some doubt when he returns for Game 5, especially when the Wolves didn’t run San Antonio out of the building after the ejection.
But Anthony Edwards also added that the pace of the game changed without Wembanyama on the floor, leading to an adjustment period in an awkward third quarter.
“Honestly, I think it was kind of harder just because, of course, they’re a really great team when he’s on the floor, but they play a lot slower when he’s on the floor because everything is revolved around him,” Edwards said via ESPN’s Anthony Slater. “...It’s just like when every team is missing their best player. Everybody plays free and get more shots, get more confident, so it was a lot harder on us.”
The Spurs star has also shown some volatility when on the court during the series. When the Wolves stole Game 1 in San Antonio, Wembanyama was a force with a playoff record 12 blocks. But he also didn’t shoot well, going 5-for-17 from the floor and 0-for-8 on 3-pointers. Wembanyama responded to help the Spurs clobber the Wolves by 38 points in Game 2, but it still was a modest shooting game, going 7-for-15 and 2-for-7 on 3-pointers.
This is probably why Wembanyama had several wide-open looks in the fourth quarter of Game 3. But it seemed to be corrected in the early minutes of Game 4 with Wembanyama making just 2-of-5 shots and 0-for-1 from beyond the arc.
It’s also worth noting that Wembanyama had five fouls late in Game 3 and had three before his ejection in Game 4, which could be another way the Wolves could even the playing field.
If Wembanyama is on like he was in Game 3, the Spurs are a tough team to beat. Even if he’s not, Harper, Fox, Stephon Castle, and others are a locked-in supporting cast that the Wolves have to take seriously. But entering Game 5, the Wolves know what they are up against, and it should make Wembanyama’s return a minor detail in a pivotal game in the series.
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