May 8, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) tries to keep the ball away from Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) in the second half during game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Victor Wembanyama is still years from reaching his peak. That is a sobering thought, given that the 22‑year‑old San Antonio Spurs star already ranks among the NBA’s elite.
Fresh off a historic performance, Wembanyama aims to deliver another dominant outing when the second‑seeded Spurs take on the sixth‑seeded Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday in Game 4 of the Western Conference second‑round series in Minneapolis.
San Antonio holds a 2‑1 lead in the series, thanks largely to the Frenchman’s spectacular showing in Game 3. Wembanyama posted 39 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots in Friday’s 115‑108 road win. He became just the fourth player in NBA history to record at least 35 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in a playoff contest, joining Hall of Famers Shaquille O’Neal (three times), Hakeem Olajuwon (three times) and Kareem Abdul‑Jabbar (twice). The league began tracking blocks in the 1973‑74 season.
“It’s good to be along with the big fellas,” Wembanyama said.
In Game 3, he connected on 13 of 18 field‑goal attempts, including three 3‑pointers, and hit 10 of 12 free throws.
“He really imposed himself on the game. He established himself dominating the paint and rim on both ends. When he does that, it kind of feels like everything opens up for himself and his teammates. Then he gets some shots on the perimeter. He gets some closeouts. He gets the gravity in terms of teams trying to be physical with him,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.
Unsurprisingly, Wembanyama expects another huge effort will be required in Game 4.
“I think we haven’t done anything yet. I think we showed some strength during (Friday’s) game, some relentlessness that we’ve got to prove. We’ve still got to prove to ourselves that we can sustain that. Sometimes it feels like being in a more hostile environment, a harder environment, forces us to step up our game and be on our criteria even more,” Wembanyama said.
Friday’s victory snapped a seven‑game losing streak in Minneapolis for San Antonio, which dated back to October 2022.
The Timberwolves will look to guard Anthony Edwards to help them even the series. Edwards was impressive in Game 3, scoring 32 points with 14 rebounds and six assists while playing a full game for the first time since hyperextending his left knee, which caused him to miss the final two games of the first‑round series against the Denver Nuggets.
Edwards averaged just 15 points in the first two games of the San Antonio series while being limited to 25 and 24 minutes. On Friday, he played a game‑high 40 minutes, 33 seconds.
“He needed that. We needed that. He’s battling back to find a game like this, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the result that went along with it,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said.
The Timberwolves shot just 38.4% from the field (38 of 99) and never led by more than four points despite playing at home.
“I feel like we had a bunch of great looks. And if we make our shots, we win the game,” Edwards said.
Jaden McDaniels (17 points) made only 5 of 22 shots, and Julius Randle (12 points) connected on just 3 of 12. Some of their struggles can be attributed to Wembanyama’s presence, as he altered numerous shots beyond the ones he blocked.
“They got somebody who’s 7‑6 on the floor, and he takes up a lot of space. So just trying to, you know, figure out ways to find an open man around him,” Edwards said.
