Wembanyama leads Spurs past Timberwolves as Knicks move 3-0 up on Sixers

MINNEAPOLIS: Victor Wembanyama delivered a commanding display as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-108 on Friday to take a 2-1 lead in their NBA playoff series, while the New York Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 108-94 to move to the brink of the Eastern Conference finals.

Wembanyama, playing in his first NBA post-season, finished with 39 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in Minneapolis. The 7-foot-4 French star took control in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 points as San Antonio pulled away in a game that had been tight, tense and physical for long stretches.

I'm built for this. I love this more than anything else.

Wembanyama said after the win.

We got the talent. We got the depth. We don't got the experience, but we don't care... We can go to the very top if we play like tonight consistently.

Minnesota were boosted by the return of Anthony Edwards to the starting lineup. Edwards had starred in the Timberwolves' game-one upset win, but after dealing with a knee injury he had scored only 12 points off the bench in the heavy defeat in game two. He responded with 32 points, 14 rebounds and six assists, but his effort was not enough to prevent the loss.

The Timberwolves made a poor start, missing their first 12 field-goal attempts. Wembanyama set the tone defensively with two early blocks, forcing Minnesota to rely on scoring from outside the paint. The home side recovered and the teams were level at 51-51 by halftime.

Edwards and Wembanyama dominated the scoring in the first half, with 19 and 16 points respectively, while the rest of the players combined shot barely 30 percent from the field.

The contest became increasingly heated after the interval. Jaden McDaniels and Dylan Harper battled for the ball, and Harper's head hit McDaniels' knee as he fell. Shortly afterwards, McDaniels and Stephon Castle shoved each other, prompting multiple players from both teams to get involved.

Wembanyama, however, stayed composed and sealed the result with two long-range three-pointers late in the game.

Greatness.

teammate De'Aaron Fox said of Wembanyama's performance.

Teams are going to come out here and try to be physical with him. He fights through that, he doesn't complain, he knows what he's going to endure.

Fox added.

He comes out here and he produces.

Knicks close in on Eastern Conference finals

In Philadelphia, Jalen Brunson again led the way as the Knicks beat the 76ers 108-94 for their sixth straight victory and a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

New York have not lost since recovering from a 2-1 deficit in their first-round playoff series against Atlanta. Brunson, who had guided the Knicks through a tense game two, scored 33 points and added nine assists in another composed display.

The Knicks also received strong defensive contributions, with Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart combining for 23 rebounds. No team has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit in a seven-game NBA series.

Philadelphia, playing before an energetic home crowd for the first time in the series, started strongly. Paul George scored 15 points in the opening quarter as the Sixers built a 12-point lead against a Knicks team without the injured OG Anunoby.

New York responded quickly, tightening up on defense and scoring 33 points in the second quarter while shooting 57 percent to take the lead into halftime.

Towns and Joel Embiid, who had returned, were involved in a physical battle, with both players committing three fouls before the break in a contest that at times resembled a wrestling bout.

The Sixers cut the deficit to two points late in the third quarter, but then missed six consecutive shots, including a couple of airballs. With Brunson again taking charge late on, the Knicks pulled away in the final period as Philadelphia faded.