Victor Wembanyama starred as the San Antonio Spurs moved to within one win of a Western Conference final against the Oklahoma City Thunder by taking a 3-2 lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Wembanyama scored 27 points – including 18 in the first quarter – to lead the Spurs to a 126-97 victory in game five of the best-of-seven series.
His display came after the 22-year-old was ejected for the first time in his NBA career in the previous game for elbowing an opponent, although he did not receive a suspension.
Victory in game six for the Spurs in Minneapolis on Friday would set up a showdown with the Thunder – the reigning NBA champions – who completed a 4-0 sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers.
On whether he was anxious about returning for game five, Wembanyama said: “Very, very much. I mean, I was fresh, feeling good. But honestly, it’s hard to tell if it was just getting fired up.
“Obviously, I’m going to be excited with butterflies, you know. So excitement is not something abnormal.”
Asked about Wembanyama, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said: “The one word I’d like to use [is] just mature.
“There’s a lot that’s happened in the last 48 hours, in the last game, and I think how that young man came out tonight and played in a variety of ways, in a variety of situations, was extremely mature.”
The Spurs allowed an 18-point second-quarter lead to slip as Minnesota levelled the game at 61-61 four minutes into the third quarter.
But San Antonio rallied again, scoring 30 of the next 42 points to take a 91-73 lead into the final quarter – and extended that advantage even further.
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