With the Timberwolves already staggered and seemingly a couple of shots away from being firmly on the ropes, the San Antonio Spurs had a prime opportunity to deliver the knockout blow in Game 4 on Sunday night at Target Center.
If only Victor Wembanyama hadn’t taken that cliched boxing metaphor and applied it in the literal sense.
A swinging elbow from Wembanyama nailed the jaw of Naz Reid and ultimately led to the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year being ejected for the first time in his career.
That proved to be a gift for the Timberwolves as they eventually wore down the Spurs en route to a 114-109 win to even the series at 2-2.
The particulars of the situation have already been litigated ad nauseam on social media.
There are the diehard Timberwolves fans who look at the video and claim Wembanyama lined up Reid and tried inflict maximum damage. There are the diehard Spurs fans who look at the video and claim Wembanyama didn’t even see Reid as he attempted to secure a rebound near the low block.
The truth probably exists somewhere in the middle. Not that the intent really mattered when the result was the best player on the floor being tossed.
This has been slowly building throughout the series as the Timberwolves have gone out of their way to make sure Wembanyama feels their presence. There has been a noticeable physicality on display from the onset.
A subtle forearm to the back here. A blatant shove to the back there.
Rinse. Repeat.
Essentially, the Timberwolves are beating up Wembanyama every chance they get, and then daring the officials to do something about it. They can’t possibly call a foul on every possession, right? That seems to be the mindset.
It reached a boiling point when Wembanyama nailed Reid, coincidentally, or maybe not coincidentally, with Jaden McDaniels draped all over his back. The crashout from Wembanyama was understandable when considering how much contact he’s already been forced to absorb.
Asked if the goal has been to frustrate Wembanyama into eventually losing his cool, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch wouldn’t take the bait. He’s been around long enough to know nothing good can come of that.
“That wasn’t necessarily the plan of attack,” Finch said. “We wanted to be physical in every way we could.”
It’s a tightrope that the Timberwolves have gotten very good at walking over the past few years. They seem to understand better than most that pretty much anything goes once the playoffs roll around.
They push. They pull. They hook. They hold.
It’s become a calling card for the Timberwolves and a big reason they have reached the Western Conference Finals in consecutive campaigns. Whatever it takes to stop their opponent from getting an easy bucket.
Is it the ethical hooping that this particular fan base loves to flaunt? Not necessarily. Is it effective when the calendar turns to April, May, and June? No doubt.
Though a lot of the success has been attached Anthony Edwards ascending to superstar status, and rightfully so, the Timberwolves consistently pushing the envelope in the playoffs has been a major part of them leveling up.
“You’re allowed to be more physical,” Mike Conley said. “That allows the bigger, stronger, more athletic guys to shine even more.”
It’s why the Timberwolves have been able to slow the likes of Nikola Jokic time and time again. Is the physicality starting to wear on Wembanyama too?
That question couldn’t be asked to Wembanyama directly because he wasn’t made available to reporters after the loss.
Instead, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson did his best to stand up for his best player, and some of the comments left something to be desired.
“I’m glad he took matters into his own hands,” Johnson told reporters postgame. “He’s going to have to protect himself if they’re not.”
Though he immediately clarified that he didn’t condone what actually happened, Johnson’s statement came across as tone deaf when considering the fact that Wembanyama indeed clocked Reid directly in the face.
Think of it as gamesmanship from the Spurs ahead of a pivotal moment in the series. Not that the Timberwolves are going to back down from how they play Wembanyama.
“It’s very physical for everybody,” Rudy Gobert said. “They’ve been very physical with us. We’ve been with very physical with them. That’s the playoffs.”
That’s something Wembanyama will have to learn to adapt to in his pursuit of the Larry O’Brien Trophy. He’s going to have to get used to playing through physicality every second he’s on the court.
Especially if he’s playing the Timberwolves.
Related Articles
-
‘I just wanted to win for my mom’: Anthony Edwards with another Mother’s Day masterpiece in Game 4 win
-
Spurs used 2024 NBA draft to solve backcourt issues. The Timberwolves … did not
-
Anthony Edwards was great in Game 3. That still wasn’t peak Ant, who may not appear in these playoffs
-
Mizutani: If Julius Randle doesn’t figure it out, the Timberwolves are toast
-
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch calls referee Tony Brothers’ actions ‘completely unprofessional’
