Sunday night in San Antonio the Minnesota Timberwolves played very good defense for all but one quarter.

Turns out three out of four was more than enough.

Up 18 early in the third, up just three late in that same quarter, the Timberwolves put the game away in the fourth quarter, taking a 106-92 victory over the Spurs.

Minnesota (14-11) has won six of seven games. The Spurs (13-13) had a two-game winning streak ended. Five of Minnesota’s past six opponents have scored 92 or fewer points.

Up six after three quarters, the Wolves began the fourth on an 11-2 run, going up 15 on a 3-point play by Nickeil Allexander-Walker with 7:33 left.

The Spurs never threatened again.

Anthony Edwards scored 26 points. Alexander-Walker had 17 off the bench. Jaden McDaniels had an outstanding game, getting his first career double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds) to go with four steals — he has nine steals in his past two games. Rudy Gobert had 11 points and nine rebounds. Mike Conley had nine points, eight assists and five rebounds.

Victor Wembanyama scored 20 points with 12 rebounds, seven blocked shots and five assists for San Antonio.

Throw out San Antonio’s 33-point third quarter and this was a defensive clinic.

The Spurs shot 40.7% overall and made just 11 of 45 3-pointers. After making it a game entering the fourth quarter, San Antonio couldn’t get any offensive rhythm until both teams emptied their benches.

The Wolves won comfortably despite shooting just 40% themselves.

The Spurs have struggled in the first quarter all season, and it was no different Sunday. Down two, the Wolves finished the first quarter on a 16-5 run to take a 28-19 lead by the time the quarter ended. Edwards scored seven of those points, Alexander-Walker five. The Wolves scored 12 points off six Spurs turnovers and held San Antonio to just 8-for-21 shooting (38.1%). The Wolves also enjoyed a 12-8 edge on points in the paint.

Because the Wolves kept up the defensive pressure, they stretched their nine-point lead to 15 by the end of the first half. This despite shooting 36.4%t in the second quarter overall and making just four of 14 3-pointers.

It was, again, the defense. By the time the half ended the Spurs were shooting 31.4% overall and were just 3 for 21 on 3-pointers. Edwards had 16 points at the half, Alexander-Walker 12. Together, they were a combined 10 for 19 overall, 4 for 10 on 3-pointers.

The Wolves took a 57-39 lead on two free throws by McDaniels just 1:05 into the second quarter. But Barnes hit two threes and Julian Champagnie hit one in a 16-4 run that pulled the Spurs within six points with 7:08 left in the quarter. The run — which included a four-shot possession by the Spurs — forced a Wolves timeout.

It didn’t stop the momentum, as the San Antonio run grew to 20-5. The Spurs pulled within three points twice, the second time with 3:22 left in the quarter.

Then McDaniels hit a step-back three. The Wolves got a stop and Naz Reid scored, was fouled and made the free throw to put the lead back to nine with 2:30 left.

The Spurs got back within six before the quarter ended, but the game was changed. The Spurs made 14 of 29 third-quarter shots and five of 12 3-pointers. Barnes scored 13 of San Antonio’s 33 third-quarter points.

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