Spurs clip Timberwolves 126-123 despite Anthony Edwards’ career-high 55 points

SAN ANTONIO – Anthony Edwards returned from a two-game injury absence with an electric performance Saturday night, Jan. 17. Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, it wasn’t enough.

Victor Wembanyama had 39 points and nine rebounds, corralling a critical offensive rebound in the final seconds that enabled the San Antonio Spurs to fend off Edwards’ career-high 55 points and beat the Wolves 126-123 at Frost Bank Center.

Edwards scored 26 points in the fourth quarter. He shot 8-for-12 from the floor in the period, including 5-for-7 from three-point range. “Phenomenal,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said in his postgame news conference.

But the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama had enough answers to counter Edwards, scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter, including 3-for-3 on three-pointers. The Wolves were shorthanded on defense: Not only did fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert (left hip contusion) not play, but replacement starting center Naz Reid played only 5 minutes because of a left shoulder injury.

Donte DiVincenzo’s three-pointer put the Wolves up 119-118 with 1:03 remaining. Wembanyama responded with a 20-footer and then blocked Joan Beringer’s reverse layup 13 seconds later to preserve the one-point lead. Keldon Johnson then hit a three-pointer with the shot clock winding down to put the Spurs ahead 123-119 with 17.3 seconds to play.

Edwards wasn’t done, hitting a three with 11.8 seconds left. San Antonio’s Julian Champagnie missed two free throws with 4 seconds left and the Wolves down two, but Wembanyama grabbed the rebound and made one of two free throws before a desperation heave by the Wolves missed.

“We fought great,” Finch said. “I always believe in our team’s fight. I knew we’d come back. We’ve done it against this team time and again. The key is not to get down so big against them.”

It was an uphill climb from there for the Wolves. They cut their deficit to 12 after three quarters, then tied the score at 103-103 on an Edwards three with 5:27 to play in the fourth and took their first second-half lead on an Edwards fadeaway with 3:28 to go.

But each of the Wolves’ three fourth-quarter leads was immediately answered by a shot from Wembanyama.

De’Aaron Fox added 25 points and 12 assists as San Antonio avoided a season sweep of its three-game set against the Wolves. Johnson had 20 points.

For the Wolves, Jaden McDaniels added 23 points, Julius Randle had 17 points and 10 rebounds and DiVincenzo scored 11 points. Beringer had 10 points and eight rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench.

BOXSCORE: San Antonio 126, Wolves 123

Edwards had sat out a victory at Milwaukee and a loss at Houston to start this four-game road trip, which ends Tuesday at Utah.

The last game Edwards had played in was Jan. 11, when the Wolves erased a 19-point deficit to beat the Spurs by a point at Target Center. In that game, Edwards’ final basket with 16.8 seconds to play put the Wolves up one, and San Antonio failed to answer at the other end before time expired, with Wembanyama and Fox both missing shots.