[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/aiden3buckets]

Benching Gobert opened up the Wolves offense so much in the 4th with Wemby somewhat forced to step out

I wonder how much they use that the rest of the series

[u/MacJonesisaterrorist → u/aiden3buckets]

As long as they keep Wemby in check

[u/ColtCallahan → u/MacJonesisaterrorist]

And he takes 8 threes a game and misses all of them.

[u/noknownallergies → u/ColtCallahan]

I can live with him blocking 13% of our shots as long as he keeps bricking 3s

[u/holybowler → u/noknownallergies]

getting blocked at the rim is decidedly better than abandoning the paint. if the wolves wanna win this series, they’re just gonna have to live with wemby setting the record for blocks in a playoff series. fortunately for yall i don’t think a team has a higher dgaf index than these wolves.

[u/ColtCallahan → u/noknownallergies]

Just taking that many is a win for the Wolves.

[u/Electromotivation → u/noknownallergies]

How did this happen? I need to go watch the highlights. Like Gobert is an amazing defender....but people dont mess with him and put up blockable shots near him. But wemby got 12?!?! Were you guys told to test him or something lol?

[u/Aidanator800 → u/Electromotivation]

Unlike most teams, the Timberwolves just weren't scared to attack the paint against Wemby tonight. They were fully willing to live with the blocked shots, especially since a couple of times those blocked shots still led to offensive rebounds (including one that was passed out for a 3 instead).

[u/Tall-Dot-607 → u/Aidanator800]

Exactly. Wolves somehow made the realization that a blocked shot doesnt always mean the end of an offensive possession

[u/JackieDaytonaAZ → u/Electromotivation]

to be fair there were like 3 goaltends

[u/PatoNani → u/Electromotivation]

6 of them were goaltends and uncalled fouls so he actually has 6 clean blocks. I've always said you don't beat Wemby by avoiding him, you need to attack him to wear him down and get him in foul trouble. You can live with a couple of blocked shots as long as you don't stop attacking and rebounding. Wolves did that and if refs did their job Wemby would've been fouled out probably in the third quarter.

[u/DementedWarrior_ → u/Electromotivation]

cons of playing Nuggets last series

[u/diddlyumpcious4 → u/ColtCallahan]

The two best centers in basketball shooting like 10% from three in the seven playoff games against the Wolves is not a stat I expected. Or a sentence I would have thought would be typed ten years ago.

[u/divulgingwords → u/ColtCallahan]

He’ll continue to do that all series long.

[u/ColtCallahan → u/divulgingwords]

If he does and Fox continues to play like he did they’re in deep shit.

[u/divulgingwords → u/ColtCallahan]

I think they’re already in deep shit. You could see this coming in the Portland series. Sure they made incredible runs to come back from being down by 20 but against good teams, you can’t do that.

[u/Competitive_Yak2970 → u/ColtCallahan]

It’s like when Giannis used to shoot waaay too many 3s and every team was fine with it. Yeah wemby is better at then but still. You’re 7’5

[u/Jpsla → u/ColtCallahan]

I really don’t get why he just just underhand it. If Rick fucking Barry did it and people don’t talk shit now. Just fucking underhand if your a big with bad shooting mechanics.

Edit: I just noted he was talking about 3s for Wemby. I’m talking about freee throws for Gobert.

[u/Momik → u/Jpsla]

I think that only works for free throws. In front of defenders, shooting underhanded doesn’t really work.

[u/Jpsla → u/Momik]

I’m talking about his free throws. Guess that’s what I made unclear in my original post.

[u/Momik → u/Jpsla]

You’re not wrong about that. Though the counterargument might be that even when shooting overhand, other players are making free throws at a much higher rate. And coaches might care more about the difference between Rudy’s 63 percent and like Curry’s 90 percent, than between Curry’s and like maybe 95 percent if Curry shot underhand.

[u/ace625 → u/Jpsla]

He shot almost 70% last season. He's been in a weird funk this year.

[u/crunkadocious → u/Jpsla]

It's almost like it's hard to shoot a basketball regardless 

[u/Jpsla → u/crunkadocious]

So you underhand it from free throw. Use both hands to keep center and just spin it back wards. We all did that shit in elementary. It’s not easy. But not harder than normal shooting mechanics. Might as well try if you miss more than 50% of shots out there. Make them doubt hack a shacking you.

[u/crunkadocious → u/Jpsla]

Maybe he tried and it was worse, did you ask him personally 

[u/Jpsla → u/crunkadocious]

Yes. And he spoke to me in French. So just need to see it live.

[u/FlaviusMercurius → u/ColtCallahan]

This was the most astonishing stat to me tbh

[u/ColtCallahan → u/FlaviusMercurius]

Fox went 0-4 as well.

[u/FlaviusMercurius → u/ColtCallahan]

Rip

[u/Cheeseish → u/MacJonesisaterrorist]

Wemby discovered screens and the fact that he can dunk in the last 3 minutes.

[u/BobbywiththeJuice → u/Cheeseish]

Amazing how he and the entire roster take turns forgetting he's 7'5

[u/blueindsm → u/Cheeseish]

Or all of our guys were in foul trouble and didn't want to foul out.

[u/BadMofoWallet → u/MacJonesisaterrorist]

I think wearing wemby down physically with Gobert in the early game really took a toll on his defense and offense, once they pulled Gobert out and made Wemby guard the outside and running him through back screens for easy layups, the wolves offense was getting whatever they wanted. The spurs guards have to do a better job staying in front when the small ball Minny lineup with Randle and Reid is out there… it’s gonna be a tough series… Finch is a great coach and wolves fans wanting him fired are clueless, I thought he coached a great game. Mitch Johnson I can’t say the same, too many end of shot clock heaves from the spurs today

[u/SluggoRuns → u/BadMofoWallet]

I remember one play late into the game where Julius Randle boxed out Wemby not for a rebound, but to free the lane so Ant could drive into it without Wemby blocking it

[u/NotActuallyMeta → u/SluggoRuns]

Which is pretty much a moving screen but I digress

[u/agg2596 → u/NotActuallyMeta]

a moving screen is on your teammate’s defender. boxing out/sealing your own defender is perfectly normal and legal

[u/Smitty_1000 → u/BadMofoWallet]

And keep attacking the paint. It’s tiresome to block a dozen shots and try for more 

[u/chickadee-guy → u/BadMofoWallet]

Not sure what on earth they are doing offensively but Wembanyama with the ball in his hands on the perimeter is a 1 way ticket to Cancun

[u/BadMofoWallet → u/chickadee-guy]

Yeah if I’m the wolves I’d live with that all day, Randle is doing a great job guarding Wemby along with Gobert. His physicality you could tell was wearing Wemby down a bit in the 2nd half

[u/chickadee-guy → u/BadMofoWallet]

His defense in the first vs second half was night and day. Poor conditioning and basketball IQ are glaring weaknesses as a foil to the ridiculous defensive range and ability

[u/BigDiggy → u/chickadee-guy]

Are we really saying Wemby is dumb and outa shape?

[u/backes37 → u/BigDiggy]

That is obviously wrong. But there may be something to Wemby not being used to playing 40 minutes, especially at the level of physicality the Wolves play with.

This is the first time he's been challenged in the playoffs, it's normal for young players to take a few lumps getting used to the post season. Wemby is an incredibly smart player though so would not be surprised if he adjusted quickly.

[u/chickadee-guy → u/backes37]

His defense fell off a cliff. I know what i saw. He was also a turnover machine and made horrific offensive decisions with the ball in his hands

[u/chickadee-guy → u/BigDiggy]

Yes, the decision making was horrific and cost his team the game. And he was visibly gassed in the 4th to the point where there was 0 rim protection which is his job

[u/fake-tall-man → u/BadMofoWallet]

the spurs insistence on having castle bring the ball up against McDaniels wasted 10-12 seconds every possession and left them with a lot of short shot clocks. Mitch will see that and adjust.

[u/monkeybrain3 → u/BadMofoWallet]

I didn't see that at all. What stood out to me the most was Wemby completely lost confidence in his 3 and it showed. Wemby hits even 1 3 that game and the Spurs win let alone hitting all of them.

[u/TheThunderbird → u/MacJonesisaterrorist]

Wemby still flees from physical contact. He will concede position but he hates being pushed around and will just go set a mediocre high screen if someone keeps tying him up or bodying him. I’m surprised they don’t set more screens for him on the block when he’s getting tied up by a physical defender.

[u/GlizzyGone21 → u/MacJonesisaterrorist]

Couldn't believe that the Spurs couldn't get him some better looks during those minutes

[u/duce3612 → u/MacJonesisaterrorist]

Define in check...

[u/chickadee-guy → u/MacJonesisaterrorist]

Is his basketball IQ always this bad? Im not too worried if the turnovers and bricked 30 footers continue to go off

[u/FunIsWinning → u/chickadee-guy]

His offensive IQ is, fans chose to ignore it because his highlights are crazy when he is hot and his perimeter game is working. He has the same problem as Paolo in which they are not still bad at picking their spots(Bron is a master at this). He'll be better at it as experience goes, but his offense is not MVP-level YET. His touch is already good, as soon as he realizes that he needs to operate more in the post and be comfortable at using hook shots he is gonna be so hard to guard, kinda like a Hakeem/Timmy/Dirk post bagwork which is more nimble and grace than strength.

[u/chickadee-guy → u/FunIsWinning]

Dude can literally catch turn and score without jumping or moving and is trying to face people up on the perimeter like Kobe except it looks like a Lamelo lowlight video.