Minnesota stood level with San Antonio at the half, 61-60, on the second night of a back-to-back. A 10-0 Spurs burst across the third-quarter buzzer made it 101-88, and Victor Wembanyama's 43 points finished the job.
Level at the Break
The Wolves trailed 34-28 after one quarter, then answered with a 16-0 burst that turned 46-35 into a 51-46 lead. They went to the locker room ahead 61-60. Minnesota never led by more than seven, while San Antonio's biggest edge was 13. The legs were the quiet story. This was Minnesota's fourth game in seven days and its second in two nights, against a Spurs team that had two days of rest.
Ten Minutes Away
San Antonio opened the second half with an 8-0 burst that erased the lead, and Minnesota still stood at 88-91 with two seconds left in the third. Then came the decisive stretch: a 10-0 Spurs run that reached 101-88 early in the fourth. Wembanyama scored 43 on 17-of-34 shooting with six blocks. De'Aaron Fox, quieter, went 8-of-10 for 22 points and was plus 23 in 35 minutes. Dylan Harper added 25. The Wolves closed with Dosunmu, McDaniels, Beringer, Kuminga and LaMelo Ball, and got within eight but no closer.
Grades and Standing
Dosunmu earns an A: 11-of-17, nine rebounds, three steals, and the only positive plus-minus on the roster at plus 1. Jaylen Clark gets a B for 10 points and two threes in 20 minutes. Ball gets a D: 2-of-10, 0-of-4 from deep, five turnovers and a minus 9 in 20 minutes. Terrence Shannon Jr. had the night's worst margin, minus 13 in 18 minutes. By our count, Jaden McDaniels is 11 points short of 5,000 career points, about one game away at his current pace. The loss leaves Minnesota 4-3 and ninth, half a game behind sixth-place San Antonio and 1.5 ahead of 11th. Rudy Gobert's status improved from out to a listed November 2 return, which matters with Milwaukee at home that day and Houston to follow on November 4.
Why did the Timberwolves lose to the Spurs?
Minnesota led 61-60 at the half, but San Antonio went on a 10-0 run across the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth. Wembanyama scored 43 and the Wolves, on a back-to-back, lost 121-111.
Where do the Timberwolves stand after losing in San Antonio?
They are 4-3 and the ninth seed, half a game behind sixth-place San Antonio. They are 1.5 games ahead of 11th.
