SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama scored a game-high 43 points and blocked six shots as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 121-111 on Saturday, according to box scores from Land of Basketball and Basketball-Reference. Ayo Dosunmu led Minnesota with 27 points in the loss.

It's the latest in what's becoming a recurring theme for Wembanyama against this particular opponent. The French big man dropped 39 points against Minnesota back in January, in a game the Spurs won 126-123 despite Anthony Edwards' own 55-point, career-high outburst. The two teams also met in last spring's Western Conference playoffs, where Wembanyama posted 39 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in a Game 3 win en route to a series victory.

WEMBANYAMA'S 43 POINTS LED ALL SCORERS ON A NIGHT WITH NO OVERTIME AND NO TRIPLE-DOUBLES LEAGUEWIDE

Saturday's win was one of seven games across the NBA, and Wembanyama's line was the standout performance of the night by a comfortable margin. San Antonio controlled the game from the opening minutes, building the kind of lead that let the Spurs rest their rotation down the stretch.

A Growing Rivalry

With the Spurs and Timberwolves now trading big nights in both the regular season and the postseason over the past year, the matchup is starting to take on the shape of a genuine rivalry — one built as much around Wembanyama's individual duels with Edwards as around anything in the standings. Minnesota will look to regroup quickly; San Antonio, for its part, continues to lean on its 22-year-old center as the engine of an offense built around his size, shooting touch and rim protection.

Neither team has released updated injury reports following Saturday's game, and both are back in action within the week as the early NBA season continues to take shape.