Victor Wembanyama Accepts Blame After Spurs Lose Game 1 to Timberwolves

Ahead of Game 1 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs, most people believed that Victor Wembanyama and the No. 2 seed would easily handle a banged-up Wolves squad, but that was far from the case in Game 1.

With Edwards returning from injury and a double-double from Julius Randle, the Wolves achieved a stunning 104-102 victory on the Spurs’ home court to take a 1-0 second-round series lead.

And this all occurred with the imposing and dominant Wembanyama going off with a surprising triple-double performance, only three other basketball stars have achieved this in the NBA Playoffs.

His 11 points, 15 rebounds, and jaw-dropping 12 blocks gave him a triple-double with blocks that only Hakeem Olajuwon and Andrew Bynum had in the postseason.

Unfortunately, Wemby’s impressive stat line just wasn’t enough on Tuesday evening to carry this Spurs team to victory over a Timberwolves squad that’s been here before.

More news:Jalen Brunson, Knicks Show Why They're Favorites in East After Game 1 Rout

And the young, less-playoff-experienced Wembanyama realizes he has to adjust his play if he wants to lead his team to a win, explaining where he felt he went wrong after Game 1’s loss.

“How to use my energy? You know, obviously, I used a lot of it once I got on the court, and on the other side, I used too much offensively. I use too much energy on things that didn’t really help our team. So that’s on me, but first thing I start on making some shots,” he told reporters.

When it came down to it, the teams were mostly even in terms of shooting, rebounding, turnovers, and free throws. However, Minnesota made a few more shots when it mattered most.

While Wembanyama had a triple-double and turned away plenty of shots, he also scored just 11 for his team, so he likely realizes the need for more scoring on his part to win games.

At 22 years old, Wemby’s showing the sort of maturity many great players do by shouldering the blame for his squad’s disappointing loss.

That’s the sort of leadership that can get his teammates to commit to doing better in Game 2 and beyond, something this Spurs team can build on as they gain more postseason experience.

More news:Julius Randle Reveals Clever Nickname for Anthony Edwards Amid Injury News

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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 7:19 AM.