Grades: San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves – Game #6
Keldon Johnson led the way for the Spurs on Saturday night (Photo via X)
In what has to be considered their best win of the season to date, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves by a final count of 113-103. While it’s true that the Timberwolves were playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Spurs were still the underdogs going into the contest. The outcome of this game gives both teams a 3-3 record on the season.
The first half couldn’t have been much closer. In the third quarter, the Spurs outscored the Timberwolves 20-6 to open the half — a run that ended with a pair of Keldon Johnson three-pointers to put the good guys up by 19 points. Minnesota rallied a couple times after that but the Spurs exhibited enough maturity to keep the momentum and cruise to victory.
Stats: Spurs vs. Timberwolves
Spurs vs. Timberwolves – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama had a solid night at the office. He hit only 1-of-7 three-pointers but was 6-for-8 inside of the arc. I didn’t have an issue with his shot-selection and his passing was a plus. Defensively, he was active all over the court. That said, he could have been better on the boards and he seemed to lose intensity from time to time in all areas of the game.
Grade: B
Chris Paul
Paul was simply fantastic. His passing, particularly in pick-and-roll sets, was nearly perfect. He finished the game with 13 assists and only one turnovers — and those numbers paint an accurate portrait of how well he dished the rock. In addition to orchestrating the offense, the Spurs also need Paul to put the basketball in the hoop to help the spacing. Against the Timberwolves, he did just that. He finished with 15 points on only nine shot attempts and is now averaging 16.0 points per game over the last four contests.
Grade: A
Harrison Barnes
This was the type of outing the Spurs imagined when they acquired Barnes in the offseason. In 38 minutes, he never seemed to get tired. In fact, his most important plays came in the fourth quarter. When Minnesota threatened to make a late run, it was Barnes who authored big plays to stem the tide. His outside shooting looks very fluid right now, his slow motion drives to the hoop are effective and his defense was better than average tonight.
Grade: A-
Jeremy Sochan
I continue to like how Sochan is playing. He’s being uber physical on both sides of the ball, rebounding better than ever and never hesitating to attack. Tonight, his ball-handling was helpful and his passing surpassed expectations. Sochan is playing as a powerful power forward who is also capable of defending superstars like Anthony Edwards out on the perimeter. That’s an impressive array skills on display.
Grade: A-
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie’s mini-slump lives on. He’s now just 3-for-18 from three-point range in his last four games. Versus the Timberwolves, he deserves credit for keeping his head up. He found ways to aid the cause on offense by cutting and making smart passes. Defensively, he hustled and did good work on the boards.
Grade: C+
Keldon Johnson
The bad: Johnson was 0-for-5 in the fourth quarter and appeared to be out of gas. The good: Prior to the fourth, Johnson was awesome. He had 25 points on 10-for-12 shooting in the first three quarters. He was knocking down threes, driving to the rim with an uncommon amount of chutzpah, and generating a palpable amount of confidence and energy that fed his teammates in times of dreariness. I even liked Johnson’s defense, which is typically a weakness of his.
Grade: A-
Stephon Castle
Castle’s numbers don’t look pristine but he played better than the stats suggest. Outside of Paul, the Spurs were having issues with Minnesota’s pressure on defense. Castle, though, was able to withstand the pressure. He also knocked down his second three-pointer of his rookie campaign. Defensively, he was put on an island during various possessions and came away with more positives than negatives.
Grade: B-
Malaki Branham
Branham got backup point guard minutes — and it didn’t go too well. His ball-handling was poor, he made unwise passes and the offense bogged down when he was at the helm. His defense was also nothing to write home about.
Grade: D
Zach Collins
This was a bounce back game of sorts for Collins. He was really good versus Minnesota. His passing was excellent, he drained a three-ball, he was physical in the lane and he was impactful on the defensive end. The Spurs didn’t skip too much of a beat when Wembanyama was off the court, which is obviously credit to Collins’ play.
Grade: B+
Mitch Johnson
Pop wasn’t on the sidelines tonight due to an illness. Mitch Johnson was in charge and did a pretty good job. The most interesting change was Johnson going with Branham as the first backup point guard. Pop has been using Blake Wesley as his first backup point guard and Castle as his second choice … so this was a notable change. Unfortunately for Johnson and Branham, the move turned out pretty ugly when Branham couldn’t handle Minnesota’s pressure. Other than that, though, Johnson deserves a round of applause for getting his guys to play hard and for the offense operating so smoothly under his watch.
Grade: B