After their victory with the Nets, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs failed to confirm against the Wolves, direct competitors for a place in the Top 10 of the Western Conference, synonymous with “play-in”.
Trailing for a long time in the second period after being 16 points behind at the start of the third quarter, the Texans fought hard and even had a five-point lead eight minutes from the end of the match, before being overtaken at the wire. by the Wolves (112-110). Donte DiVincenzo (26 points) and Rudy Gobert (17 points) allowed Chris Finch's players to sign a 17th victory in 31 games. Served by Chris Paul (14 assists), Jeremy Sochan had the last open 3-point shot, 3 seconds from time, to snatch the victory. Result ? A brick…
A harvest of rebounds for the Wolves
Throughout the match, the Spurs suffered in the paint against the rebounding activity of the Wolves, giving them 20 points on “second chance”. As a good pack leader, Rudy Gobert did a lot of work in the paint, thanks to his 15 rebounds (including 11 offensive shots). Jostled in the field, Victor Wembanyama tried a lot offensively to allow the Spurs to believe in it until the end.
Still as dissuasive defensively but only credited with two blocks, the No. 1 of the 2023 Draft, well helped by Harrison Barnes (24 points) and Devin Vassell (22 points), finished the meeting with 34 points at 13/30 on shots , including 4/12 from a distance, sometimes giving the impression of wanting to force the decision too much, even if it means lacking patience.
The Spurs, just in balance (16 wins – 16 losses), will host the Clippers on New Year’s Eve to try to end the year 2024 on a good note. The Wolves, for their part, travel to the Thunder, still the sole leader in the West.
WHAT TO REMEMBER
– Kick-off of the match delayed. Originally scheduled for 7:00 p.m. local time, the match between the Spurs and Wolves was delayed by more than 90 minutes following a floor problem at the Target Center.
– Wolves rebounds. In a match marked by the seal of clumsiness, the Minnesota players had the merit of fighting to recover their failures. Their rebound domination (56 shots to 41) weighed heavily in their victory, and in particular their 18 offensive shots, including 11 for Rudy Gobert alone.
– Third victory in a row for Minnesota. Chris Finch's players have to work hard, but this success against the Spurs allows them to record a third consecutive victory, after the equally difficult successes against the Mavericks and then the Rockets. Enough to consolidate their place in the Top 10 in the West.
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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.
