Anthony Edwards returned as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the San Antonio Spurs 104-102 in Game 1 of a second-round NBA playoffs series in San Antonio on Monday, May 4, 2026.
The two-point finish, 104-102, left little margin for error in a game played before a San Antonio crowd that watched Victor Wembanyama put together a big night for the Spurs while Minnesota found a way to close out the opener on the road.
This was Game 1 of a second-round matchup, the first full measure of these teams against one another in the postseason. The result hands Minnesota an early lead in a series that just began in San Antonio and gives the Timberwolves a narrow advantage as the teams move forward.
Photographs from the arena captured Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama in the moment, and also show teammates Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert and Terrence Shannon Jr. in action during Game 1, underscoring how the contest featured several of the series’ primary figures.
The immediacy of the score is the story’s weight: a two-point margin in a playoff opener means adjustments will come quickly. Wembanyama’s big game kept the Spurs within striking distance throughout, and Minnesota’s ability to eke out a road win despite that challenge frames the series as tightly contested from the outset.
The tension in the result is simple and unavoidable. Edwards’ return was a decisive plotline for Minnesota, but the narrow final score shows that the Spurs were far from overmatched; the performance from San Antonio’s young centerpiece proved he can dictate momentum even in a loss. That contradiction — a star performance that did not translate into victory — is the fault line both teams must address before the next meeting.
What happens next is immediate and familiar: the series continues, and the Spurs will try to answer in Game 2 as Minnesota seeks to build on its road victory. How each team adjusts to the other’s strengths and who seizes control of the tempo will likely determine whether this second-round matchup stays close or tips in one direction.
On balance, the first game suggested neither club can claim dominance. Minnesota leaves San Antonio with a 1-0 lead, but the narrow margin and Wembanyama’s impact make this a series that still feels wide open. The true measure of either team won’t be Monday’s result alone but how they respond in the next game and beyond.
