After a 133-95 rout of the Minnesota Timberwolves in Sport Two, the San Antonio Spurs will head to Minneapolis trying to steal a recreation and regain home-court benefit. Very similar to they did in spherical one of many playoffs, the Spurs head into Sport Three with a little bit of uncertainty.
The Timberwolves are undefeated at dwelling within the playoffs this season. Their video games in Minnesota legitimately swung their first-round collection with the Denver Nuggets. Whereas the Spurs dominated Sport Two, issues may swing the opposite method on the highway.
San Antonio will come into Sport Three with a totally wholesome roster. The Wolves are nonetheless coping with accidents to key gamers on their roster. Ayo Dosumnu is questionable, now with a heel harm moderately than the calf harm that saved him out of Sport One. Anthony Edwards stays questionable, regardless of taking part in within the first two video games. These accidents haven’t held the Wolves again from making this a aggressive collection to this point.
Sport Two ought to fill the Spurs with confidence. However as Victor Wembanyama advised reporters after the sport, “once you win, you’re by no means nearly as good as you assume you might be.” They’ll need to show that Sport Two wasn’t only a flash within the pan, however an indication of a group studying tips on how to win this collection.
Might eighth, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT
Watch: Amazon Prime | Pay attention: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Accidents: No accidents to report.
Timberwolves Accidents: Donte DiVincenzo – Out (achilles), Ayo Dosunmu – Questionable (heel), Anthony Edwards – Questionable (knee)
Citadel had 5 fouls in 24 minutes on Wednesday evening. He was dangerously near fouling out for the third straight recreation. It is sensible why Citadel is racking up the fouls. He’s constantly guarding the Wolves’ finest perimeter defender or banging inside with Julius Randle. He’s being compelled to battle round screens and battle with the Wolves for 50/50 balls. He’s been the driving bodily pressure for the Spurs on this collection. They want him to take care of that stage of physicality whereas retaining the foul rely low.
To not simplify the sport, however typically profitable does come down to creating photographs. The Spurs have been abysmal from three in Sport One’s loss, taking pictures 28% from deep. In Sport Two’s blowout, San Antonio shot 41% from three. The distinction within the offense in these two video games was stark. When the Spurs are hitting photographs, it opens up lanes for his or her drivers to get to the basket. They acquired their finest seems from three after they pushed the ball up the ground to get simple photographs early within the shot clock. The Wolves will definitely attempt to gradual the sport down a bit in Sport Three. San Antonio ought to proceed to push the tempo to create these simple seems that can open up their offense.
San Antonio’s most important benefit on this collection has been its guards. If De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Citadel are taking part in at their finest, the Wolves don’t have the guard play to maintain up with them. With Edwards clearly taking part in by an harm and Mike Conley previous his prime, the Wolves have had problem attending to the basket. The Spurs outscored Minnesota 58-36 within the paint in Sport Two.
Mitch Johnson’s technique has been to blitz the Wolves’ ball-handlers, sending two defenders on the ball, forcing them to go and oftentimes, flip it over. Minnesota had 22 turnovers in Sport Two. Anticipate the Spurs to maintain pressuring Minnesota’s ball-handlers in hopes of replicating this lead to Sport Three.
