Victor Wembanyama delivered a dominant 39-point performance as the San Antonio Spurs edged the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-123, spoiling a sensational career-high 55-point night from Anthony Edwards on Saturday.

The French phenom was ably supported by De’Aaron Fox, who added 25 points in a thrilling, high-scoring contest driven by Edwards’ brilliance for Minnesota.

The Timberwolves appeared down and out after trailing by as many as 25 points at half-time, but Edwards orchestrated a remarkable second-half comeback. He poured in 26 points in the fourth quarter alone, briefly putting Minnesota ahead 119-118 with just over a minute left on the clock.

However, Wembanyama and Fox steadied the Spurs when it mattered most, delivering key baskets in the closing moments to seal a hard-fought victory. The win lifted San Antonio to 28-13, keeping them second in the Western Conference.

Fox said games like this could prove invaluable later in the season.

“We’re playing in a lot of grind-it-out games, not just blowing teams out,” he said. “That helps you in the long run, being used to these situations. But when you’re one of the better teams, you also have to learn how to put teams away.”

The Spurs remain in pursuit of Western Conference leaders Oklahoma City, who suffered a surprise 122-120 road defeat to the Miami Heat. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points for the defending champions, but Miami hit 20 three-pointers, including Andrew Wiggins’ go-ahead basket with 32 seconds remaining.

Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 30 points, while Norman Powell added 19 as six Miami players finished in double figures.

In the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons continued their impressive form with a dominant 121-78 rout of the Indiana Pacers. Detroit surged to a 31-11 first-quarter lead and were up 59-25 at the break, eventually cruising to a 30-10 record after leading by as many as 46 points.

Boston remain Detroit’s closest challengers in the East after improving to 26-15 with a 132-106 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Jaylen Brown starred with 41 points, while Sam Hauser impressed from long range, knocking down 10 three-pointers on his way to a 30-point outing.

Meanwhile, the New York Knicks slipped to a third straight defeat, losing 106-99 at home to the Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker led the Suns with 27 points against a Knicks side missing injured guard Jalen Brunson.