The Alien From France

Victor Wembanyama played true to his nickname "The Alien" last night in game five against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Spurs won game five by a score of 126-97 taking a three games to two lead as the series heads back to Minnesota for a potential series clinching game six. Tonight the Cavaliers travel to Detroit to take on the Pistons in game five of a series tied at two. Let's talk about both games!

San Antonio Spurs DEF Minnesota Timberwolves 126-97 (SAS Leads Series 3-2)

You could talk all day about the performance by Victor Wembanyama last night in San Antonio. He scored twenty seven points with eighteen of them coming in the first quarter. He contributed greatly to the quick start by San Antonio. He also pulled down seventeen rebounds to complete his fourth double double in this series, sixth this playoff run. Victor Wembanyama had more or as many rebounds as every player on the Timberwolves, outside of Anthony Edwards, had points. Fifteen of those rebounds came on the defensive side. Wembanyama was one of two Spurs that logged a double double on the stat sheet.

Wembanyama was the first overall draft pick in the 2023 draft. The second overall pick in the 2025 draft, Dylan Harper, also found himself getting to double figures in points and rebounds. Twelve points and ten rebounds in twenty five minutes off the bench. When a team can get that level of production from a bench player you have a great chance to win a lot of playoff games. His second double double of the playoffs, his first against the Timberwolves. 

Dylan Harper wasn't the only Spur to come off the bench and give the team productive minutes. He greatly out performed his playoff average of seven points scoring twenty one points off the bench in just twenty two minutes. Johnson was the second leading scorer in the game. Combining the continued dominance of Victor Wembanyama and above average performances by Harper and Johnson off the bench gives the Spurs a great chance to advance to the conference championship to tangle with the Thunder. 

Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons - 8:00 pm EST on ESPN

Just like the Spurs and Wolves series, this series has quickly turned into a best of three. A best of three where the Pistons have the home court advantage. The home team is 4-0 in this series and if that continues the Pistons will be the team to take on the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Championship. However I think we finally get a road victory in this series. Mitchell has scored thirty or more in the last three games against the Pistons. Harden found himself with eleven assists and twenty four points in game four. With Mitchell and Harden playing in tune with each other I think the Cavs pull out a close one in Detroit.

Prediction:

Cavaliers: 109

Pistons: 104

Check back tomorrow for the recap of tonight's game and the look ahead at game six of the Wolves v Spurs series.