Spurs' Mitch Johnson Justifies Timeout Decision After Game 1 Loss

The San Antonio Spurs suffered an upset loss against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, taking an 0-1 deficit in their second-round NBA playoff series.

Down by two points with just a few seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the Spurs collected a defensive rebound and secured one final opportunity to tie or take the lead. San Antonio’s head coach Mitch Johnson could have taken a timeout to advance the ball to half court, but instead elected to let the game play out.

The Spurs pushed the ball in transition, resulting in a wide-open three-point attempt from Julian Champagnie that would have won the game.

The shot bounced off front rim, sealing the final score at 104-102 in favor of the Timberwolves.

Johnson justified his decision to not call a timeout during his postgame media availability.

“On the last play we got a rebound and it felt like they weren’t organized and there was enough time for us to push the ball and get a look,” Johnson said. “Julian had a flyby, got a three pointer in rhythm. I had no problem with that shot. That’s a great shot. I hope he shoots it every time.”

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Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama recorded a triple-double with 15 rebounds and 12 blocks, but struggled on the offensive side of the ball. The 7-foot-4 Frenchman shot 5/17 from the field and 0/8 from behind the 3-point arc, scoring just 11 points.

Veteran guard De’Aaron Fox also struggled, scoring 10 points on 5/14 from the field and 0/4 from three.

Anthony Edwards put forth an impressive effort despite playing under a minutes restriction in the series’ opening game. Playing through a bone bruise on his left knee, the All-Star guard dropped an efficient 18 points.

Julius Randle also had an excellent showing, leading the Timberwolves with a game-high 21 points.

Game 2 will tipoff at 9:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 10:52 AM.