The San Antonio Spurs got the news they needed before Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Victor Wembanyama will be available after his Game 4 ejection, avoiding a suspension and further NBA discipline before the series returns to San Antonio tied 2-2. That is a significant swing for the Spurs, who lost 114-109 after Wembanyama was ejected in the second quarter for a flagrant 2 foul on Naz Reid.
San Antonio also enters Game 5 as a heavy favorite. ESPN’s odds page listed the Spurs as 10.5-point favorites via DraftKings as of Tuesday, May 12.. ESPN’s matchup predictor also gave San Antonio a 77.1% chance to win.
That combination gives the Spurs a clear pregame advantage: Wembanyama is cleared, home court is back in play and the market expects San Antonio to respond after missing a chance to take a 3-1 series lead.
The Spurs are in a strong position despite dropping Game 4.
San Antonio did not have Wembanyama for most of the night after his ejection, but still pushed Minnesota to the final minutes. The Timberwolves needed 36 points from Anthony Edwards, including 16 in the fourth quarter, to even the series.
That is part of what makes the Game 5 line notable. Oddsmakers are not treating Minnesota’s Game 4 win as a momentum-shifting statement as much as a result shaped by Wembanyama’s absence.
ESPN listed San Antonio as a 10.5-point favorite via DraftKings on its Game 5 odds page. The Spurs are expected to control the game at Frost Bank Center.
For San Antonio, Game 5 is an opportunity to reclaim the series. A win would put the Spurs one victory away from the Western Conference finals. A loss would send them back to Minnesota facing elimination.
That is why the Wembanyama decision mattered so much.
Wembanyama was ejected after elbowing Reid during a rebound battle in Game 4. The play was reviewed and upgraded to a flagrant 2 foul, which carries an automatic ejection.
The Spurs’ concern was whether the NBA would add more punishment before Game 5. It did not.
Wembanyama had just four points and four rebounds in 12 minutes before his ejection in Game 4. His absence changed the shape of the game, especially for a Minnesota offense that no longer had to finish over his length or account for him as the back-line defender.
With Wembanyama back, the Wolves have a different problem. Minnesota’s drives become more complicated. Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid have to battle through his size on the glass. Edwards has to attack a defense with one of the NBA’s most disruptive rim protectors waiting near the paint.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson defended Wembanyama after the ejection, arguing that the young star deals with constant physicality and needed more protection from officials.
Now, the Spurs get their centerpiece back with the series tied and the home crowd behind them.
The one piece of bad news for San Antonio is De’Aaron Fox’s ankle.
Fox is listed as questionable for Game 5 because of a sore left ankle, according to the NBA’s Official Injury Report. ESPN’s Game 5 page also lists Fox as game-time decision with an ankle injury.
That status matters because Fox has become one of San Antonio’s most important pressure points against Minnesota’s defense. Even in the Game 4 loss, he scored 24 points while playing 37 minutes, though he struggled with efficiency and shot 8-of-23 from the field and 1-of-7 from 3-point range.
If Fox is limited, the Spurs will need more from Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell and their secondary creators. If he is available and close to himself, San Antonio’s Game 5 outlook becomes even stronger.
The Spurs already got the biggest answer they were waiting for with Wembanyama. Fox’s status is the final variable.
For now, San Antonio has the cleaner pregame story: its franchise star avoided further punishment, the series is back on its home floor and the Spurs are favored to take control of the matchup before heading back to Minnesota.
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。