Back-to-back assignment goes poorly for the Timberwolves in 113-103 loss to San Antonio Spurs

One night after Friday’s dramatic and emotional comeback victory over rival Denver, the Timberwolves could find no late magic in a 113-103 loss at San Antonio.

This time, they trailed by as many as 19 points — and never fewer than 10 after the Spurs went on a game-changing 17-5 run shortly into the third quarter.

They also never mounted a run like the 17-4 late burst fueled by Nickeil Alexander-Walker that won Friday’s game 119-116.

Keldon Johnson led a Spurs team without ill coach Gregg Popovich with 25 points off the bench. Veteran point guard Chris Paul controlled the game’s pulse with his 15 points and 13 assists.

Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards led the Wolves with 21 points each before Wolves coach Chris Finch emptied his bench with the result decided and out of reach in the final three minutes.

Both teams have now started their seasons 3-3. The Wolves flew back to Minnesota after Saturday’s game and play Charlotte at Target Center on Monday.

The Wolves came back from 10 points behind in the final four minutes to beat the Nuggets on Friday night in a late game at Target Center. The 8:30 p.m. start was for ESPN, and the team didn’t arrive at its San Antonio hotel until nearly 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Spurs didn’t play Friday night and were home resting and waiting while the Wolves traveled in the middle of the night.

“I love these types of situations,” Finch said before the game. “You got to be physically tough. You got to be mentally tough. You got to go out and find a way to win. We’ve never been a rest team anyway. I think our guys enjoy the challenge.”

Finch adapted to the circumstances by calling upon Josh Minott off the bench for an early appearance late in the first quarter. He played the quarter’s final 3:46 on a night when the Wolves were tied at 32 after the first quarter and trailed 62-57 at halftime.

The Spurs started the third quarter with a 10-1 run that expanded into the 17-5 one that pushed their lead to 19.

The Spurs played on without Popovich, who was out Saturday because of an undisclosed illness.

Assistant coach Mitch Johnson, 36, served as head coach. He has been a Spurs assistant since 2019, played for Stanford and is the son of the late former Seattle Supersonic John Johnson.

“This has happened before,” Johnson told reporters before Saturday’s game. “We’ve had it with injuries and sometimes people don’t feel well or things come up in life. He’s just not feeling well.”

Popovich is the NBA career leader with 1,390 victories. He has won 170 postseason games and five NBA titles as well and is now in his 29th NBA season, all with the Spurs.

Apple Valley’s Tre Jones — former Duke star and brother of the Phoenix Suns’ Tyus Jones — was out Saturday for the Spurs because of an ankle injury.

Spurs sophomore sensation Victor Wembanyama came to Saturday’s game off a rare 5x5 game in Thursday’s lopsided victory over Utah. He had at least five in five different statistical categories: 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals and five blocked shots.

That’s now the second 5x5 game in his young career. Former Jazz star and former Timberwolves forward Andrei Kirilenko had three in his career. Former Houston Rockets great Hakeem Olajuwon did it six times.

On Saturday, Wembanyama had a 17-point, six-rebound, three-assist, two-block, one-steal game.