Defense will be the focal point when the Minnesota Timberwolves visit the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night in a Western Conference clash prompted by their NBA Cup performances.
Neither the Timberwolves nor the Spurs advanced to the quarterfinals of the in-season tournament. On Friday, the Timberwolves faced the Los Angeles Lakers, while the Spurs squared off against the Portland Trail Blazers ahead of their Sunday matchup.
The Timberwolves head to the Alamo City following a 97-87 home win over the short-handed Lakers. Anthony Edwards overcame an ankle injury to score 23 points, while Julius Randle added 21 points. Minnesota forced the Lakers into a season-worst 22 turnovers, never trailing throughout the game and securing their fifth win in the past six games despite shooting just 40.2 percent from the floor. Their defense has been the key, as the team has not scored more than 109 points during this successful stretch.
Meanwhile, the Spurs mounted an impressive comeback from a 17-point, fourth-quarter deficit to win 118-116 in Portland. Victor Wembanyama led the way with 28 points, including a pair of go-ahead free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining. San Antonio, which surged ahead with a 24-4 run in the final period, also received 23 points off the bench from Devin Vassell, with five Spurs players scoring in double figures.
The Spurs played most of the game without veteran point guard Chris Paul, who was ejected in the first quarter. Additionally, San Antonio was missing injured players Stephon Castle (shoulder), Keldon Johnson (calf), Zach Collins (back), and Tre Jones (shoulder) but managed to win their second consecutive game following a three-game losing streak.
Wembanyama continues to be a pivotal player for the Spurs despite dealing with a back injury. He made all 10 of his free throw attempts during Friday’s victory and is hitting 88.5 percent of his free throws this season.
Sunday marks the second meeting of the season between the teams. San Antonio previously defeated Minnesota 113-103 on November 2, with five Spurs scoring in double figures.
