Victor Wembanyama's double-double lifts Spurs past Timberwolves | 2026 NBA Playoffs

0:00 Spurs started the game on an 18-3 run.

0:02 That was their largest lead of the game and it

0:04 [music] was as if Minnesota would just not go away.

0:07 They closed the quarter on a 195 run.

0:09 They kept coming at him in the second half.

0:13 It got down to one in the fourth quarter.

0:16 The Spurs able to absorb it and hold

0:18 off the hungry Timberwolves despite Anthony Edwards.

0:22 He had himself a game.

0:23 32 points, 14 rebounds, six assists,

0:26 and the Spurs win [music] it 115 to 108 2-1 series lead.

0:34 Get some instant analysis.

0:35 Welcome in CBS Sports basketball analyst Noah Bono.

0:38 and Noah as a certifi certified ball knower yourself.

0:42 Victor Wemanyama, I mean, you can appreciate what he did,

0:45 the efficiency and playing with five fouls there late in that game,

0:49 able to score 16 of his 39 in the fourth on 13 of 18.

0:53 What did you see?

0:54 Because we continue to witness this young man

0:56 just getting better and better every time out.

0:59 I saw the birth of the young star that we all expect him to be.

1:03 These are the moments that we're all looking for from these star players,

1:08 young stars that have the potential to be perennial allstars,

1:11 all NBA guys, and in Victor Webbyama's case,

1:14 one of the greatest prospects of all time next to LeBron James.

1:18 But the path that he could be on, assuming

1:20 he can stay healthy during the duration of his career,

1:23 this is the birth of that.

1:24 This is where players go from boys to men

1:27 when it goes from the regular season to the playoffs.

1:30 Victor Wmanyama drops his uh second career

1:32 game with 30 plus points this postseason just

1:35 his seventh career playoff game and he's

1:37 putting up Walt Chamberlain numbers 39 and 15.

1:40 I mean those are ridiculous number and then the five blocks.

1:42 It wasn't five assists it was [music] five blocks.

1:45 Um so I'm I'm more than impressed in what we saw from him.

1:49 But I can't say that I'm surprised especially

1:51 as he gets deeper into this playoff run.

1:54 The experience and the repetition from these big highstake basketball games.

1:59 Uh I I am I would say the the thing

2:01 I am most surprised is that this came in game three,

2:05 his first real test on the road.

2:07 He only played one road game in Portland

2:09 because of the concussion in game three.

2:11 So this was really his first test in a big time hostile road environment.

2:15 And I thought maybe game four would be

2:17 the one where we really saw him burst out.

2:19 I thought Minnesota would win tonight.

2:21 San Antonio would win game four.

2:22 Now, I think it might be the opposite,

2:24 but he came ready to play from the moment this game started and then

2:27 he finished it off the way you want your star to finish it.

2:30 He was phenomenal.

2:31 We went by playing in his first postseason, 22 years old,

2:34 he was unanimous defensive player of the year this season.

2:36 Led the league in blocks for a third straight season.

2:39 Look, there was a moment in the third quarter, take you back,

2:42 where he's getting held by Rudy Goar and his jersey

2:46 gets pulled by Anthony Edwards and he's like,

2:48 you're gonna make a call here or what?

2:50 And even with all of that, he's playing with five fouls.

2:54 And as you said, we're witnessing the birth of a superstar.

2:57 And we know that this is the face of the league.

3:00 Like even Anthony Edwards said it himself when they asked him.

3:02 He's like, "No, no, he's the face of the league."

3:04 When you're able to see him overcome that, he's getting held,

3:07 his jerseys getting pulled,

3:09 and he's able to get numbers in the 16 in the fourth quarter.

3:12 That just shows you right there the leader that he's becoming.

3:16 Absolutely.

3:16 I mean, he's been a leader since the moment he got into the NBA,

3:19 and you can hear him off the court

3:20 and in moments in practice [music] and, you know,

3:23 even in fundraising moments off the court, you know, away from his team.

3:27 This guy is born to be a leader.

3:29 Uh, he understands emotions.

3:31 He understands the moment.

3:33 He's very self-aware.

3:35 So, I don't really think, you know,

3:36 [music] there's another thing about him that makes him great on the court

3:39 that doesn't surprise me because when you hear him talk about how, you know,

3:42 it's harder work for him to hide his emotions and and comments like that, it

3:46 it all translates to the basketball floor

3:48 and his emotional maturity and, you know,

3:51 it makes up for the lack of maturity he

3:54 may have may have in these type of moments.

3:56 Um, and and we watch the playoffs and I think that this stands out the most

4:01 in the playoffs is is a team takes after the identity of their star player.

4:06 And I think that you can see the San Antonio Spurs rallying

4:09 around a guy like Victor Webinama and taking on the identity that he

4:13 brings to the group that he obtains himself and it feeds off

4:18 the the rest of the guys feed off this to such a great extent.

4:21 And you know, it's no different than what you've seen

4:24 with a LeBron le team and the leadership and the vocalenness of him.

4:28 And then you go to a Kevin Durant led team and you're kind of like,

4:30 h there's a little distance.

4:32 There's not really much going on here.

4:33 I is there much connectivity here?

4:35 Look at a Victor Wyama led team.

4:37 I know we only got seven games in the postseason with it,

4:40 but I mean it's only going to get scarier

4:42 and scarier and scarier as he continues to get more reps,

4:45 more mature, uh more games under his belt, more playoff experience.

4:49 This is literally first run at it and he looks pretty damn good.

4:52 It's pretty scary for the league.

4:54 As you know, the Spurs got an assist from one of their legends,

4:57 the Hall of Fame coach, five-time NBA champion Greg Papovic,

5:00 sitting in during a film session after they lost game one.

5:04 Noah, what do you think the Spurs learned as they have executed to perfection,

5:09 near perfection here in back-to-back wins?

5:12 I think they were reminded more so than

5:15 learned their depth on this team is so vital.

5:18 Like when Devin Facel uh is knocking down shots to kind

5:22 of halt some of these Minnesota Timberwolves runs, big deal.

5:26 When Dylan Harper is coming over on the weak side to block a shot and guys are

5:30 fighting for the loose ball off his block

5:33 shot and they somehow can come away with it.

5:35 Um and then obviously what Stefon Castle and De'Arren Fox bring to the table.

5:38 The depth of this team is what makes them.

5:41 And when Luke Cornet can come in the game and give you,

5:43 you know, five to eight spot minutes to just relieve WBY who played 36,

5:47 37 minutes tonight, I think they learned and were reminded, hey guys,

5:51 we're one of the deepest teams in the league, just like Oklahoma City.

5:54 Like, one of the reasons we've gotten here is because of our depth.

5:57 Uh, you know, we can bring a our second overall pick rookie off the bench

6:02 and our net rating is a plus 21 when he's out on the floor.

6:05 Like, we're deep.

6:06 We got bodies.

6:07 We got people we can depend on.

6:09 And I think that coach pop probably brings them

6:11 in a session like that and can pinpoint some

6:14 certain moments but probably can help get into the mind

6:17 of Darren Fox of hey man you're Darren Fox.

6:19 You get you have the nickname Swipe a Fox because of how fast you are.

6:24 Go downhill put pressure on the rim.

6:26 And I think we saw a lot of that tonight

6:28 translate over and then again guys playing to their strength.

6:31 So I don't think it was much of a learning lesson.

6:33 I think it was reminder of, hey,

6:35 this is the team we've been all year that won 60 plus games.

6:37 Let's go out and show it some more versus

6:40 a depleted Minnesota team dealing with a lot of injury.

6:43 Spurs have now won three straight playoff games

6:45 on the road for the first time since 2016.

6:48 Adds up here to a two to one series lead.

6:51 Noah Bono here with us on CBS Sports HQ.

6:53 Noah, thanks.

6:55 So, the Spurs in control up two games to one.

7:01 As you take a look at the Timberwolves

7:03 when trailing [music] in the best of seven series, down two games to one.

7:07 They've never [music] won a series in franchise history.

7:11 So, not looking good right now,

7:13 but perhaps they can change the course of history.

7:16 Game four back in Minnesota on Sunday.

7:21 Coming up, we'll relive the drama.

7:23 Anthony Edwards hit this to end the first quarter,

7:26 but it was Victor Webbyama who had the last laugh in the fourth quarter.

7:30 That's next on CBS Sports HQ.

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7:47 Big news coming out of [music] the NFL.

7:49 A lot of movement in the rankings this week with highlights.

7:51 What a finish at the final round of play and in-depth analysis.

7:55 Can they three?

7:56 Tony Romo joins the conversation.

7:58 What can you say [music] about this game?

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