Timberwolves edge Spurs 104-102 in West semifinals Game 1

The Minnesota Timberwolves opened the Western Conference semifinals with a 104-102 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday at Frost Bank Center, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Anthony Edwards returned to the Timberwolves’ lineup for his first action since April 25, coming off the bench and scoring 18 points. Eleven of those points came in the fourth quarter as Minnesota pushed in front late.

Minnesota’s scoring was spread out, with six players reaching double figures. Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Terrence Shannon Jr., who started in place of Edwards, added 16 points and five rebounds.

For San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama produced a historic defensive performance with 12 blocks — the most in a playoff game since blocks became an official statistic in the 1973-74 season — while also posting 11 points and 15 rebounds. Offensively, the Spurs struggled to generate clean looks against the Timberwolves’ size and physicality; Wembanyama went 0-for-8 from three-point range.

Game 1 set an early tone for a defense-heavy series, with Minnesota’s length and half-court execution proving decisive in a two-point finish.