Rudy Gobert returns from injury to help Timberwolves win fifth in a row, routing Spurs

Rudy returned Sunday.

It became official less than an hour before the Timberwolves' game against San Antonio at Target Center.

After missing 10 games because of a lower-back issue, big Wolves center Rudy Gobert returned to action, returned to the starting lineup and returned to a team that found an offensive rhythm in his absence.

So what did that mean?

The Wolves won their fifth consecutive game, 141-124 over a Spurs team playing without Victor Wembanyama, moving into a virtual tie with Golden State for sixth in the NBA's Western Conference.

The Wolves scored a season high in points, tied a season high with 38 assists. They shot 55.8%, made 21 of 42 threes, had eight players score in double figures. Coach Chris Finch said Gobert's return would require some adjustment to a team hitting its offensive stride.

Or not.

"Do you believe in coincidence?" Gobert joked when talking about his return to a team that played as well offensively as it has all season.

But seriously: "It was great, it was fun," said Gobert, who shook off early foul trouble to score 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting and grab eight rebounds in 20 minutes. "When the ball is moving like that, when the mindset is how it was tonight, it's great."

The Wolves' ball movement was wonderful, the shot selection was shrewd and the efficiency was off the charts. Anthony Edwards made 10 of 15 shots while scoring 25 points. Jaden McDaniels (16) made seven of 12, Mike Conley (13) made four of eight.

Julius Randle was again hunting a triple-double. He scored 14 points, had 10 assists and seven rebounds on a night when Finch's rotation went 10 deep.

"It was just chemistry, rhythm, pace," Randle said. "Everyone is buying in and it's just making it easy for all of us. It's probably as good as we've felt out there as a team."

Finch was more to the point: "From an aesthetics point of view, this our best offensive game."

And they needed it, because for much of the game the Spurs were able to trade baskets with the Wolves. San Antonio shot 55.3%, got to the free-throw line 24 times and had six players in double figures, led by De'Aaron Fox (22), who came into the game averaging better than 33 points in three previous games vs. the Wolves.

The Wolves (37-29) led from start to finish, but it was still a 94-88 game with 3:24 left in the third quarter.

Then the Wolves took over, getting three-pointers from three players in a 15-6 run to end the quarter.

"The ball was moving," Finch said. "I thought Ant and Julius set the tone early with ball movement. Everybody was touching it. Everyone was making the right play."

BOXSCORE: Wolves 141, San Antonio 124

NBA standings

For Gobert, it was the right play to wait until he was healthy enough to return at or near full strength. Sunday he made some difficult catches. He finished around the rim. His defensive help was great; he was not credited with a block, but he appeared to have at least one and perhaps two.

"We haven't played with him for a while," Finch said. "I thought he was good with his spacing. I thought he was patient. And on defense, he was good at just the right time."

So it was worth the wait for his return.

"I always try to work on the root of the problem to make sure it doesn't happen again," Gobert said. "Playing with pain is part of the game. But there is pain that keeps you from moving, or that can get worse. Right now, I feel like I'm strong. I feel balanced."

So does the team.

"Everyone's getting healthy today," said guard Donte DiVincenzo, who scored 17 points. "Everyone's, you know, popping."