3 Stats to Explain Spurs' Heartbreaking Loss to Minnesota

It certainly wasn't a re-telling of the San Antonio Spurs' last loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but these three stats stuck out like sore thumbs among the rest.

Dec 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (0) drives to the basket past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Josh Minott (8) in the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Despite Victor Wembanyama pouring in 34 points on the night, the San Antonio Spurs fell just short to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night behind 26 points from Donte' DiVincenzo and back down to .500 on the season.

There are plenty of directions to point in as far as the reasonings for the loss are concerned, but three main issues remain at large.

1. The Abysmal 2nd Quarter

Dec 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) shoots the ball over San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

In what looked like a microcosm of the Spurs' last matchup with Minnesota, San Antonio only netted 12 points in the second quarter. Any time an NBA team can't manage more than 15 in a quarter, things tend to get scary. Sure, San Antonio played themselves back into the game by winning the third 37-25, but if the putrid second quarter is even moderately better, the Spurs are enjoying victory Monday as opposed to the current situation.

2. Dominated on the Boards

Dec 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (0) drives to the basket and passes the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Not only did San Antonio lose way too much steam in the second quarter, but the rebounding effort also fell short of par. Not a single Spur managed double digit rebounds, which in turn led to the team losing the rebounding battle by double digits — 15 to be exact. Minnesota outmuscled San Antonio down low, plain and simple, and that's no winning formula.

3. Passing Numbers for Those Not Named Chris Paul

Dec 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

When looking at the compiled statistics from last night's game, Chris Paul's 14 assists certainly jump off the page. However, his are the only assist numbers that do so. Paul accounted for 14 of the team's 25 assists. Nobody will deny that Paul should be leading the team in handouts night in and night out, but not to that level. Ball movement was a major limiting factor in the loss, and continues to plague this young Spurs squad when the shots aren't falling at a high rate.

All in all, the box score can tell lots of stories from last night's loss, but San Antonio now has a chance to do a bit of soul searching and right the ship.

The Spurs are back in action against the LA Clippers on Tuesday, Dec. 31 in the final game of 2024. Tipoff from Frost Bank Center is set for 6 p.m. CST.

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