The Timberwolves pulled off a Game 1 upset win in San Antonio despite a historic defensive performance from Victor Wembanyama. His 12 blocks set an NBA playoff record, but how many should’ve been called for a foul or goaltend? Let’s break it down.
“He had a lot of blocks. He had a couple of uncalled goaltendings, too. Those are valuable points we’d like to have back,” Wolves head coach Chris Finch said after the game.
Almost all Wemby’s blocks were goaltends/fouls. pic.twitter.com/kiFxdO82u9
— House of Lowlights (@HouseLowlights) May 5, 2026
1. Clean block
Wembanyama swatted the first shot attempt of the game from Terrence Shannon Jr., and it was a clean block.
NBC/Peacock
2. Goaltend
Wembayama’s second “block” of the game. | Photo via: NBC/Peacock
Shannon’s second shot of the game, on the other hand, was a goaltend. It happened fast, but Shannon’s layup attempt hit the backboard before Wemby blocked it.
“He gonna need to block it every time. I ain’t gonna stop going downhill. And I told him that when he said a little something after he blocked my second one. But he gonna have to block it every time. I know he ain’t gonna block it every single time,” Shannon said.
3. Foul
Wembenyama didn’t even appear to get a piece of the ball on his third block. It looked like he got Rudy Gobert on the arm, which should’ve been called a foul.
Wembanyama’s third “block” of the game. | Picture via: NBC/Peacock
4. Probably a good block
Wemby’s first block of the second quarter was one of the hardest judgment calls for a referee to make. You could make an argument that Naz Reid’s shot was on its way down, but Wemby might’ve swatted it just before.
NBC/Peacoc
5. Goaltend or foul
According to the NBA.com Gamecast, Wemby was awarded one block in this sequence, but he should’ve had at least one goaltending call, and maybe a foul. Julius Randle’s first attempt went off the backboard before getting deflected by Wembanyama. Randle got his own rebound and fought through a lot of contact before getting blocked again.
NBC/Peacock
6. Probably a good block
It looked like there was a lot of contact on a Gobert shot attempt late in the second quarter, but I would lean more towards this one being a clean block rather than a foul. But you could make an argument that he followed through into Gobert’s head, which should be called a foul.
NBC/Peacock
7. Clean block
You can’t make an argument about Wemby’s final block of the first half. He clearly got Reid for the second time.
NBC/Peacock
8. Clean block
When you’re 7-foot-4, you’re going to block a lot of shots, and Wembanyama had a clean block on McDaniels early in the second half.
NBC/Peacock
9. Clean block
Randle had another physical shot attempt at the rim in the third quarter, but I think Wemby got him for a clean block on this one, despite some marginal contact.
NBC/Peacock
10. Foul
Wembanyama didn’t appear to make any contact with the ball on a Bones Hyland shot attempt late in the third quarter; if he did, it was with his arm. There looked to be a lot of contact, which probably should’ve resulted in a foul.
NBC/Peacock
11. Probably a good block
This one was probably as close as you can get in terms of a goaltending call. It looked like a true bang-bang play, which is nearly impossible to get right live as an official. I would lean more towards clean block, but I could be swayed in the other direction, as Anthony Edwards tried to do with the refs.
NBC/Peacoc
12. Clean block
Wembanyama’s final block on Shannon was clean, with the alien’s right hand swatting the ball just before it would’ve hit the glass.
NBC/Peacock
Final tally
- Clean blocks: 5
- Probably a good block: 3
- Goaltend: 2
- Foul: 2
That’s four points for goaltending and up to four more points at the free-throw line. That’s a lot of points erased from the scoreboard, and why Finch and the Wolves are justified in their reactions.
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