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Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs had plenty of cause to celebrate in Game 2 against the Wolves.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0Download the NBA App<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n San Antonio had two sizable factors in its favor heading into Game 2 of its conference semifinal series<\/a> Wednesday against Minnesota.<\/p>\n One was the Spurs\u2019 own track record. This precocious and ambitious team had not lost two consecutive games since way back in January, essentially the middle of the regular season. The Spurs lost by a single point against the Timberwolves at Target Center on Jan. 11, then got roughed up two night later by 21 points at Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n Since then, right through the 133-95 blowout victory<\/a> of the Wolves to even this series at 1-1, the Spurs have gone 40-9 \u2013 which is the equivalent of a 69-13 season record. Young or not, Victor Wembanyama and his teammates already have developed a resiliency that can serve well a team with championship dreams.<\/p>\n The other factor that worked to the Spurs\u2019 advantage was the Timberwolves\u2019 maddening habit \u2013 maddening for fans and coaches, at least \u2013 of inconsistency, blurred focus and fluctuating effort. Only each player knows for sure how locked in he was, but by all appearances the Wolves looked from tipoff Wednesday like a team that already had checked the 1-1 split into the cargo hold and was ready for the charter flight home.<\/p>\n Here are four takeaways from the lopsided result, heading toward Game 3 Friday (9:30 ET, Prime Video<\/strong><\/a>):<\/p>\n 1. Spurs\u2019 overwhelming start<\/p>\n San Antonio left no doubt as to its inclination and determination from the game clock\u2019s first tick. It bothered the Wolves into turnovers on their first three possessions.<\/p>\n It guarded more aggressively, farther out onto the floor.<\/p>\n With Wembanyama having already established his paint presence with 12 blocks in the opener, that area was coned off to Minnesota all night.<\/p>\n \u201cIntensity,\u201d Wembanyama said. \u201cJust from the start of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n Then there was a glaring disparity in pace. During a second-quarter stretch in which the Spurs pumped their lead from 43-28 to 59-34, they pounced on every Wolves missed shot, mistake with the ball and even a couple of baskets. The race to the other end that ensued again and again somehow looked downhill for the Spurs and uphill for the Wolves.<\/p>\n That period was nothing but runs of various lengths for San Antonio: 35-18, 26-13, 15-3 depending how you sliced them.<\/p>\n That left Minnesota with its lowest-scoring first half all year.<\/p>\n San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson leaned into his coach-ese to sum up his team\u2019s relentless start, dropped several big C\u2019s \u2013 consistency, connectivity, communication \u2013 along with this understatement: \u201cAppropriate urgency.\u201d<\/p>\n Said guard Stephon Castle: \u201cI don\u2019t think we were too shell-shocked coming out of Game 1, we knew why we lost. And we addressed it.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Wemby and Fox lead, teammates follow<\/p>\n Both Wembanyama and point guard De\u2019Aaron Fox all but apologized to the world after Game 1, each of them smarting from the defeat and sub-par performances.<\/p>\n Fox had as many turnovers as assists (6), while Wembanyama scored only 11 points. Together, they shot 10-for-31, including 0-for-12 on 3-pointers.<\/p>\n Johnson acknowledged that he spoke briefly to Fox, mostly to remind him how essential he is in setting a tone and temperament for their team.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has the strongest ripple effect on our team, when he\u2019s in attack mode and pushing the pace,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cAlso when he picks up at the point of attack, he\u2019s the catalyst for us. At the start of games, if you go back and watch our best moments, he\u2019s usually right in the middle of that.\u201d<\/p>\n Sure enough, San Antonio\u2019s shortest and tallest starters got and kept their team flowing Wednesday. Fox got his work done in three quarters \u2013 16 points, two assists, two steals, a plus-23 \u2013 while Wembanyama made a token appearance in the fourth before finishing with 19 points and 15 rebounds.<\/p>\n 3. Nobody likes getting \u2018punked\u2019<\/p>\n What else was ever-candid Minnesota coach Chris Finch supposed to say after his squad suffered the biggest playoff beatdown in franchise history? His postgame words to the team were short and sour.<\/p>\n \u201cI just told \u2018em we just got punked,\u201d Finch said. They just kicked our butt in every aspect of the game. Offensively, defensively, it didn\u2019t matter. We just didn\u2019t respond very well.\u201d<\/p>\n Pick whichever aspect you want and the Wolves came out on the raw end. Twenty-two turnovers, turned into 19 Spurs points. A 55-43 rebounding disadvantage. Poor shooting (39.8%) and poorer defending (the Spurs hit 50% overall). Rancid showing at the foul line (16-for-31). A 22-point gap in paint scoring and a 24-point shortfall in fast-break points.<\/p>\n Minnesota often looked as if it never saw a double-team before, given how badly the Wolves coped with that defensive tactic. Invariably, Anthony Edwards would respond a dribble late, then find center Rudy Gobert as his only outlet.<\/p>\n Then Gobert searched slowly for a better target for a pass. The gears grinded like that for three quarters, by which time the game was decided.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got to get off of [the ball],\u201d Finch said. \u201cUse it as a catalyst for ball movement, which is what it should be. I think we dribbled in tough spots We were late getting off of it. I thought our spacing around it wasn\u2019t really good, and our decision-making when the ball came out of it wasn\u2019t good either. It was kind of a chain reaction.\u201d<\/p>\n Finch\u2019s breakdown conjured an old joke: Other than that, coach, how did you like the performance?<\/p>\n 4. Minnesota\u2019s turn to adjust<\/p>\n By the time Game 3 begins, the Spurs will feel as if they\u2019ve regained the form of their torrid second half of the regular season and mastery over Portland in the first round. Minnesota will have showered off the stain of Game 2 and be at home, where they beat the formidable Denver Nuggets three times by 17, 16 and 12 points a week or two ago.<\/p>\n Finch made it clear that fixing Game 2\u2019s gasping, sputtering offense would provide a boost to the Wolves\u2019 defense as well. Better shots, more careful ballhandling and proper spacing would slow San Antonio\u2019s rush downcourt even when the Minnesota shots don\u2019t go in.<\/p>\n Extra reps at the free throw line before Friday\u2019s tipoff? Couldn\u2019t hurt.<\/p>\n The loss and extra time till then might encourage Finch to restore Edwards to the starting lineup. The Spurs only led 13-11 when he checked in from the bench at 6:24 of the first quarter, but the Wolves\u2019 shooting star appeared to force his initial shots. He was 0-for-5 by the time he hit his first field goal with 30 seconds left in the period.<\/p>\n The Wolves will continue to monitor his knees, the injuries that sidelined Edwards late in the Denver series and had Finch subbing him in so far in this one.<\/p>\n Also, guard Ayo Dosunmu played in Game 2 after missing the opener with a sore right calf, but lasted only 7:03 before sitting down with a sort right heel.<\/p>\n Most of Minnesota\u2019s pain Wednesday, however, came on the court.<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him\u00a0here<\/a>, find\u00a0his archive here<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0follow him on X<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n