Wembanyama’s 39-point night lifts Spurs over Timberwolves in Game 3

Victor Wembanyama turned Game 3 into a force-of-nature performance, scoring 39 points with 15 rebounds and 5 blocks as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-108 at Target Center and seized a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.

The Spurs took control in a game that felt less like a single playoff result than a measure of which young core is arriving faster. San Antonio had already erased its Game 1 loss in San Antonio, where Minnesota stole a 104-102 opener behind Anthony Edwards’ return from injury, and then responded with a 133-95 rout in Game 2, Minnesota’s worst playoff loss in franchise history. Game 3 shifted the burden back to the Timberwolves, who spent much of the night chasing Wembanyama instead of dictating the tempo.

Minnesota had no clean answer for the 7-foot-4 center. ESPN reported that Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle were especially affected by Wembanyama’s rim protection and short-range deterrence, combining to shoot 8-for-34 from the floor. That was the central tactical story of the night: every attack near the paint carried the possibility of a blocked shot, a rushed finish or a possession that died before it fully formed. Wembanyama did not just score; he distorted the floor.

San Antonio needed every part of that impact. Wembanyama played 37 minutes and added 1 steal and 1 assist to his scoring and rebounding line, while the Spurs kept enough composure late to protect a series lead that had changed hands twice in three games. The crowd of 18,978 at Target Center watched Minnesota’s hopes of reclaiming control get squeezed by San Antonio’s length, timing and shot-making.

Game 4 was set for Sunday, May 10, 2026, back at Target Center, and the series has become a revealing test of how quickly each franchise can turn promise into Western Conference legitimacy. Minnesota has Edwards, Randle and Rudy Gobert, but San Antonio has Wembanyama at the center of everything, and Game 3 suggested the Spurs may be the younger contender moving faster than anyone expected.