In the duel of French interiors, it is Rudy Gobert who emerges victorious against Victor Wembanyamabecause the Wolves got rid of Spurs in Texas, on behalf of the second evening of the famous In-season tournament (or NBA Cup).
After a generally balanced start to the match (27-22), the players of Minnesota began to raise their voices from the second quarter (56-54), in the wake of Anthony Edwards and especially Karl-Anthony Towns. Increasingly stifling in defense and effective at 3-pointers or in the paint in attack, despite an avoidable waste with the ball, Chris Finch’s men then put their paw on the game, accelerating further at the heart of a third quarter that they dominated head and shoulders (90-73).
Despite a slight burst of pride from Spurs in the last act, proof of their desire to do well and fight at home, the Wolves did not give up and they therefore secured the blow (117-110), winning their first victory of the season away from home, but also in the In-season tournament. This constitutes, as a bonus, Minny’s fifth success in a row, to be taken seriously at the start of the campaign…
TO REMEMBER
– Victor Wembanyama shines, but Minnesota doesn’t shake. After his last two complicated outings in Indiana and New York, “Wemby” recovered perfectly in San Antonio. Probably motivated by his first time against Rudy Gobert, he showed great things in attack, attracting the balls to him, choosing his shooting positions well and showing skill, in addition to weighing in defense, with his deterrent force and his sense of anticipation. Problem: despite the help of Devin Vassell and their good start, the Spurs were not able to hold out over the long term against the serene Wolves with very sharp fangs.
TOP/FLOP
✅ Karl-Anthony Towns. Anthony Edwards also contributed a lot (28 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists), but it was “KAT” who stood out the most this night: 29 points, 12 rebounds. In tune with his shooting, incisive in his decisions with ball in hand and present on the rebound, the interior All-Star had visibly included this duel against Victor Wembanyama in his calendar, since he quite simply delivered the best match of his season. An expected rise in power.
⛔️ Keldon Johnson. Devin Vassell back in the five, and also very efficient (29 points) to properly support Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio on the other hand could not rely on a sufficiently good performance from its all-purpose winger . Limited to 6 points in 33 minutes, 2/10 shooting, Johnson was sorely missed by the Spurs.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
