SAN ANTONIO — In an impressive display, Keldon Johnson scored 25 points, while Chris Paul contributed 15 points alongside 13 assists, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 113-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night. Coach Gregg Popovich was absent from the game due to illness, yet the Spurs managed to find success without him.
Jeremy Sochan was pivotal in the win as well, recording 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Victor Wembanyama also made an impact with 17 points and six rebounds.
In a notable achievement, the 39-year-old Paul became the second-oldest player in NBA history to register 10 assists in consecutive games, a feat previously accomplished by Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton, who did so at the age of 41.
For the Timberwolves, Julius Randle led the scorers with 21 points, and Anthony Edwards followed with 18. The team faced the challenge of playing on the second night of a back-to-back game, having arrived at their hotel in San Antonio around 4:15 a.m. after a hard-fought 119-116 victory against the Denver Nuggets the previous night.
In terms of individual performances, Randle shot 8 for 15, successfully driving to the basket against Wembanyama with a mix of floater layups and hook shots. Rudy Gobert, however, struggled, going 3 for 8 from the field, with two of his attempts getting blocked by Wembanyama.
On the Spurs’ side, Chris Paul’s game has markedly improved, averaging 16 points after only managing six points in his initial two games with the franchise. With this performance, Paul notched his second consecutive double-double, raising his career tally to 529, putting him just behind LeBron James, who has 575 double-doubles among active players.
A key moment in the game came during the closing moments of the first half when San Antonio showcased their improving defense. Johnson intercepted a pass from Donte DiVincenzo with just 38 seconds remaining in the second quarter, leading to an alley-oop dunk by Wembanyama, giving the Spurs a 62-57 advantage. Wembanyama then exhibited his defensive skills again by blocking Gobert’s dunk attempt with only six seconds left in the half.
Statistically, the Spurs have shown improvement in managing the ball, recording just 11 turnovers for the second consecutive game after starting the season with an average of 17.2. This turnaround comes after a disheartening game against Oklahoma City where they committed a season-high 22 turnovers in a 105-93 defeat. In the subsequent two games since then, they’ve combined for only 22 turnovers in their winning efforts.
Looking ahead, the Timberwolves will host the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, while the Spurs are set to travel to face the Los Angeles Clippers on the same day.
