The Timberwolves' backs are now officially against the wall. The Spurs put them there in a decisive Game 5 on Tuesday night in San Antonio, dominating from the opening tip to secure a commanding 126-97 victory and take a 3-2 series lead.

San Antonio controlled the game for 98% of the contest, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back. The Wolves briefly sparked hope in the third quarter, knotting the score at 61-all, but the Spurs responded with a devastating 30-12 run to ice the game and silence any comeback dreams.

This feels all too familiar for Minnesota, which found itself in a similar hole two years ago against Denver in the same round. Back then, the Wolves returned home to thrash the Nuggets in Game 6 before claiming Game 7. But there's a key difference this time: in that series, Minnesota often felt like the better team with clear physical advantages. That's not the case here, especially when Victor Wembanyama is on the floor.

The French phenom returned to action after an early ejection in Game 4 and dominated every facet of the game. Wembanyama stuffed the stat sheet with 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks, making the Timberwolves look outmatched whenever he was in the paint.

The 29-point loss marks Minnesota's fourth-largest playoff defeat in franchise history. The largest? That would be the 38-point drubbing the Spurs handed them in Game 2 of this very series.

Now, the Wolves face a must-win Game 6 on Friday at 8:30 p.m. CDT at Target Center. They've been here before, but the path forward looks steeper than ever against a Spurs team that seems to have found its rhythm at the perfect time.