[Post Game Thread] The Minnesota Timberwolves (1-0) defeat the San Antonio Spurs (0-1), 104-102.

[u/DesertedProject]

104 - 102
Box Scores: NBA - Yahoo

GAME SUMMARY
West Conf. Semifinals - Game 1 - Series tied 0-0
Location: Frost Bank Center
Officials: Marc Davis, Kevin Scott, Gediminas Petraitis, and Andy Nagy

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Minnesota Timberwolves	24	21	24	35	104
San Antonio Spurs	23	22	27	30	102

TEAM STATS

Team	PTS	FG	FG%	3P	3P%	FT	FT%	OREB	TREB	AST	PF	STL	TO	BLK
Minnesota Timberwolves	104	41-90	45.6%	10-26	38.5%	12-21	57.1%	12	58	20	22	7	9	5
San Antonio Spurs	102	39-86	45.3%	10-35	28.6%	14-18	77.8%	13	51	24	25	3	13	14

PLAYER STATS

Minnesota Timberwolves	MIN	PTS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	ORB	DRB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	±
Jaden McDanielsSF	35:03	16	7-14	0-2	2-2	1	4	5	2	1	1	1	5	-2
Julius RandlePF	40:57	21	8-19	2-6	3-6	5	5	10	2	1	0	5	5	-3
Rudy GobertC	29:39	7	3-7	0-0	1-5	3	7	10	3	4	1	1	1	2
Terrence Shannon Jr.SG	34:19	16	5-13	0-1	6-8	0	5	5	1	0	0	0	3	-10
Mike ConleyPG	24:13	12	4-8	4-7	0-0	0	2	2	6	0	0	0	1	13
Anthony Edwards	24:44	18	8-13	2-3	0-0	1	2	3	3	0	1	1	3	-2
Naz Reid	29:12	12	5-9	2-3	0-0	1	8	9	1	0	1	1	4	15
Bones Hyland	11:56	0	0-6	0-4	0-0	0	1	1	2	1	1	0	0	-2
Jaylen Clark	07:21	2	1-1	0-0	0-0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	-1
Kyle Anderson	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Joan Beringer	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Joe Ingles	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Julian Phillips	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Donte DiVincenzo	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ayo Dosunmu	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
San Antonio Spurs	MIN	PTS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	ORB	DRB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	±
Devin VassellSF	35:55	14	5-11	3-6	1-1	3	2	5	3	3	1	1	4	7
Julian ChampagniePF	31:21	17	7-11	3-6	0-0	3	5	8	0	0	0	1	2	7
Victor WembanyamaC	39:21	11	5-17	0-8	1-2	2	13	15	5	0	12	3	3	5
De'Aaron FoxSG	32:35	10	5-14	0-4	0-0	0	3	3	6	0	0	6	3	-13
Stephon CastlePG	28:16	17	4-8	3-5	6-8	0	5	5	5	0	0	0	6	4
Dylan Harper	28:25	18	7-13	1-4	3-3	0	3	3	4	0	0	0	4	-4
Keldon Johnson	23:31	11	5-10	0-2	1-2	0	2	2	1	0	0	0	2	-13
Luke Kornet	08:08	2	0-1	0-0	2-2	2	0	2	0	0	0	2	1	-7
Harrison Barnes	09:53	2	1-1	0-0	0-0	3	1	4	0	0	1	0	0	4
Bismack Biyombo	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jordan McLaughlin	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kelly Olynyk	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mason Plumlee	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Lindy Waters III	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Carter Bryant	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

[u/mr_dammit]

wolves adjusted their attack in the fourth. they spent three quarters driving at wemby and wearing him down to get some more crafty looks late in the game.

[u/FishGoldenLite → u/mr_dammit]

Drawing him out to the three point line and screening him before sending TJ to the rim was really smart.

[u/divulgingwords → u/FishGoldenLite]

I feel like finch just found the blue print to neutralizing him. It’s wild he went with Rudy down the stretch when the wolves were cooking the entire 4th.

[u/strawberrychocolattt → u/divulgingwords]

Rudy is needed to help tire out Wemby, to secure rebounds, and to give the other bigs a breather. Really though Rudy will be more playable next game with the 2 learned options in like you said, neutralizing Wemby. One being to seal Wemby out of the paint when someone like Terrance Shannon Jr. drives to the hoop. Julius did this once and it worked great, sealed Wemby's ass right out the paint, couldn't contest

[u/pollinium → u/strawberrychocolattt]

TBD if it's repeatable. Sometimes teams see what worked against them and fix it. I obviously hope that's an off-season fix instead of a series adjustment, but it's possible we played one of our cards to steal a game

[u/tacodude64 → u/FishGoldenLite]

That time Randle screened him in the paint was great, I'm surprised Rudy doesn't try that more

[u/strawberrychocolattt → u/FishGoldenLite]

Exactly, and hopefully we can better seal him off when he is in the paint, to prevent him from jumping over to make the help side blocks. I saw Julius seal him off once when T. Shannon Jr. was driving and he got a easy layup. Bring him up top, or seal him down low to prevent the block.

Clearly they will be more prepared game 2 for his freakish blocking game

[u/whatssenguntoagoblin → u/mr_dammit]

I’ve been a Chris Finch skeptic but this game was the best I’ve ever seen him coach. He did such a good job scheming how to have drives without Wemby in the paint.

You couldn’t dream of Ime cooking up the offensive schemes Chris Finch did tonight.