3 Timberwolves players most to blame for Game 3 loss to Spurs

The Minnesota Timberwolves walked into Game 3 believing they had weathered the storm. After splitting the opening two contests against the San Antonio Spurs, the Timberwolves had an opportunity to reclaim control of the series on their home floor. Instead, what unfolded inside Target Center was a frustrating reminder of how thin the margin for error becomes in the postseason. Anthony Edwards delivered the type of superstar performance expected from the face of the franchise. However, Minnesota just had no answer the brilliance of Victor Wembanyama.

Can’t stop HIM

The 115-108 scoreline reflected a gritty battle where Minnesota’s defense kept them alive after a disastrous start. The Wolves missed their first 12 shots, falling behind 18-3 early. However, they used their defensive intelligence to claw back and enter halftime tied at 51-all. The third quarter, though, proved to be their undoing as they allowed the Spurs to shoot 6-for-10 from three-point range. Despite never leading by double-digits in the second half, the Spurs also never trailed. They maintained a composure that Wembanyama described as “holding the ship together”. Minnesota stayed within striking distance until the very end. In fact, they trailing by just one point with six minutes remaining. Alas, they could never quite get over the hump.

The final minutes were a showcase for Wembanyama. He finished with 39 points and 15 rebounds. Even after picking up his fifth foul midway through the fourth quarter, the young star returned to score 16 points in the final frame. His clutch three-pointer with three minutes left answered a late push by Naz Reid and effectively sealed the game.

For the Wolves, Anthony Edwards was spectacular with 32 points and 14 rebounds while playing through a knee injury. His supporting cast, though, failed to convert the looks he generated. In the end, a 38.0 percent shooting performance from the field was a death sentence for Minnesota.

Jaden McDaniels

For all the pressure Edwards absorbed offensively, Minnesota desperately needed Jaden McDaniels to provide a secondary scoring punch. Instead, McDaniels delivered one of the most damaging offensive performances of his postseason career.

The versatile wing logged 40 minutes but shot an abysmal 5-for-22 from the field. Those numbers become even more painful when considering how many clean looks he received throughout the game. The Spurs consistently collapsed their defense around Edwards. They dared Minnesota’s complementary scorers to beat them from the outside. McDaniels failed that challenge repeatedly.

What made the performance particularly frustrating was how hesitant he appeared offensively. Rather than attacking decisively, McDaniels often second-guessed himself on drives and settled for contested pull-ups. Each miss further shrank the floor for Edwards and Julius Randle. This allowed San Antonio to tighten its defensive grip on Minnesota’s half-court offense. His minus-15 plus-minus was the worst among the starters. It accurately reflected how difficult life became for Minnesota during his stretches on the floor.

Julius Randle

Minnesota expects Randle to bring playoff-tested physicality and offensive reliability to complement Edwards during high-pressure moments. Through three games in this series, that vision has not materialized consistently enough.

Game 3 was particularly rough. Randle finished with just 12 points while shooting 3-for-12 from the field in 31 minutes. Against San Antonio’s length, he struggled to establish deep position. Randle repeatedly settled for difficult contested jumpers instead of leveraging his physical strength closer to the rim.

More concerning than the shooting numbers was the lack of overall impact. Randle recorded zero assists and committed two turnovers. Minnesota desperately needed composure and offensive organization whenever San Antonio sent extra defenders toward Edwards. Randle never consistently delivered that calming presence.

Defensively, the issues were equally glaring. Randle often looked a half-step late reacting to ball movement. That contributed to the clean perimeter looks that allowed San Antonio to seize control. Also, Randle found himself on a Wemby poster.

Mike Conley

The strangest part of Minnesota’s collapse may have been the near-total absence of Mike Conley from the game itself.

Conley started the game but curiously played only four minutes. He failed to register a single point, assist, or rebound before effectively disappearing from the rotation. Whether due to matchup concerns or physical limitations, the result was devastating for Minnesota’s offensive structure.

Without Conley orchestrating the offense, the Timberwolves looked disjointed and rushed. Ayo Dosunmu and Naz Reid were forced into larger organizational responsibilities than originally intended. The offense frequently devolved into stagnant isolation possessions that played directly into San Antonio’s defensive game plan.

Conley’s value has always extended beyond raw statistics. He serves as the stabilizing voice and the player capable of slowing the game down when emotions rise. His minus-10 rating in just four minutes illustrated how quickly the Timberwolves lost control without his presence. That leadership vacuum became painfully visible as the Spurs steadily tightened their grip on the game.

If the Timberwolves want to salvage this series, they cannot rely solely on Edwards’ brilliance. They need their veterans and complementary pieces to rediscover their composure immediately. Otherwise, this promising postseason run may begin slipping away far sooner than anyone in Minneapolis expected.

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