There is a world where Victor Wembanyama was suspended for Tuesday night’s Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It’s just not this one. The San Antonio Spurs center is perhaps a little fortunate to have been active for the crucial fifth game, and he made the Timberwolves pay with an electric game that restored the Spurs’ lead in the series.

Wembanyama’s ejection came very early in Game 4. Frustrated by some contact the Wolves were giving him, Wembanyama elbowed Naz Reid in the neck and was shortly thereafter ejected. The Timberwolves ended up getting a win to even the series.

With Victor Wembanyama not suspended, though, the Spurs rode his incredible start (18 points in the first quarter) to a 29-point victory. They’re now one win away from a Western Conference Finals date with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Victor Wembanyama’s historic start propels Spurs

Given the nature of Victor Wembanyama’s flagrant foul in Game 4, it’s not wholly unsurprising that he was not suspended. The league opted not to punish him further after he was removed from the game near the very beginning. And after missing that loss, the Spurs center was on a mission.

His 18 points are the most he’s ever scored in a quarter in the playoffs. It’s the fifth-most points scored by a Spurs player in a single playoff quarter. He scored 16 of his 21 first-half points in a six-minute span to truly set the tone. On defense, the Timberwolves were 3/11 when he contested a shot.

His total stat-line, which was 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and two three-pointers, has been equaled by no one else in NBA playoff history. That’s certainly a cherry-picked stat with weird parameters, but it is still highly impressive.

Exactly what was needed

The Spurs needed to recoup after a frustrating loss sans Victor Wembanyama. The Timberwolves are pesky, and they got under the Frenchman’s skin. For that to happen again or for them to knock him around, it could’ve been disastrous. Instead, Wembanyama kept his cool and dominated.

“It’s super important for us the way we started the game because it sets the tone,” Wembanyama said. “I was fresh, feeling good. Honestly, it’s hard to tell if it was just Game 5. Obviously, I’m going to be excited. We’re going to have butterflies. Excitement is not something abnormal at this point in the playoffs.”

The Timberwolves felt like they’d cracked the code and tried to be ultra-physical with him again.”When it comes down to who can be the more physical team or who could be the team that is able to withstand those hits, he did a great job at that,” De’Aaron Fox said. “He didn’t falter whenever he got hit. We know even the strongest players in the league get hit and they fall. And when he’s playing the way he played tonight, it’s hard to beat us.”

Wembanyama wanted after the game to focus on Game 6, which could be the clincher. He didn’t want to talk about the past, especially his ejection. On the court, his actions were similar, as he refused to let the Timberwolves’ bigs bully him into a frustration foul or slow him down on the offensive end despite all the drama.

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