MINNEAPOLIS (Interstat) — Anthony Edwards scored 16 of his game-high 36 points in the fourth quarter, and the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied following the stunning ejection of San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama early in the second quarter to beat the Spurs 114-109 on Sunday, tying their second-round playoff series at two games apiece.

Edwards, who added six rebounds and two assists in 40 minutes, hit a 27-foot pull-up 3-pointer with 5:12 remaining to give Minnesota its first lead since midway through the third quarter. He then made a 25-foot jumper from the wing off a catch-and-shoot opportunity to put the Timberwolves ahead 98-97, turning to shout toward the crowd as San Antonio called timeout. His scoring burst in the final period, including a 26-foot triple that cut the deficit to 91-88, keyed a Timberwolves comeback from a 14-point third-quarter hole.

Naz Reid provided critical support off the bench with 15 points and nine rebounds, including a go-ahead layup with 39.8 seconds left that put Minnesota up 112-109. Reid also absorbed the elbow that led to Wembanyama’s ejection. Rudy Gobert posted 11 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and a block, anchoring the interior after the Spurs lost their 7-foot-4 center.

San Antonio, the top seed in the Western Conference with a 68-24 regular-season record, led 60-60 at halftime after a chaotic second quarter. The Spurs had opened a 56-42 lead with 6:35 left in the first half, but Minnesota closed the half on an 18-4 run. The outcome came despite the Spurs outscoring the Timberwolves 28-20 in the third quarter to take an 88-80 lead into the fourth. Minnesota then erupted for 34 points in the final period, matching its first-quarter output.

The game turned in the second quarter when Wembanyama, playing his first playoff game at Target Center, was ejected with 8:39 remaining after officials reviewed a flagrant foul type 2. Wembanyama struck Reid in the neck with an elbow while fighting for position on an offensive rebound. The call was upheld after a review, and Wembanyama was automatically disqualified. He finished with four points, three rebounds and one assist in 10 minutes.

Without their star, the Spurs relied on backcourt production. Dylan Harper scored 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting and made 9 of 10 free throws in 27 minutes. De’Aaron Fox added 24 points, four rebounds and three assists but shot just 8 of 20 from the floor. Stephon Castle contributed 20 points, six rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes, though he committed seven turnovers. Devin Vassell had 14 points and three assists. Luke Kornet grabbed nine rebounds and blocked two shots in 26 minutes. Julian Champagnie scored seven points off the bench.

Minnesota shot 42 of 94 from the floor for 44.7 percent and made 10 of 27 from 3-point range. The Timberwolves outrebounded San Antonio 48-43, including 15 offensive rebounds that led to 19 second-chance points. Gobert had five offensive boards. Reid added four offensive rebounds. Minnesota also attempted 22 free throws, converting 20, while San Antonio made 21 of 27.

San Antonio shot 41 of 86 from the field for 47.7 percent but connected on just 6 of 26 from beyond the arc, a 23.1 percent clip. The Spurs forced 17 Timberwolves turnovers, converting them into 25 points, but committed 14 turnovers of their own. Minnesota had only five assists as a team, a playoff low, but compensated with aggressive driving and offensive rebounding.

Edwards’ fourth-quarter performance mirrored his recent playoff form. He scored 32 points in Game 2, a 115-108 loss to San Antonio on May 8, and had 18 points in Game 3, a 104-102 win on May 4. He also recorded 12 points in Game 1, a 133-95 loss on May 6.

Julius Randle added 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists but shot 5 of 13 from the field. Ayo Dosunmu scored 10 points, including a crucial driving layup and two free throws in the final minute to seal the win. Jaden McDaniels chipped in 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting. Mike Conley had six points and three assists in limited minutes.

The Timberwolves improved to 55-37, while the Spurs dropped to 68-24. The series now shifts to San Antonio for Game 5 on Tuesday at Frost Bank Center.

Attendance was 18,978 at Target Center.

The most pivotal stretch came in the final six minutes. After trailing 97-88 with 6:23 to go, Edwards scored or assisted on Minnesota’s next 11 points. His 25-foot triple at 5:12 gave the Timberwolves their first lead since 60-58 in the third quarter. Reid’s layup off an offensive rebound with 39.8 seconds left extended the lead to 112-109. Harper answered with two free throws at 29.1 seconds to cut the deficit to 112-111, but Dosunmu made two free throws with 9.8 seconds left to push the margin to 114-111. Fox missed a desperation 31-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer.

San Antonio had won four of the previous five meetings this season, including three in a row before Sunday. The Spurs had also swept the first two games of the series in San Antonio before Minnesota evened the series at home.

The Interstat game simulator had projected a final score of Minnesota 117, San Antonio 108. The Interstat ELO system gave San Antonio a 65.30 percent probability to win. San Antonio had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 4.5. The total score of 223 went under the over-under line of 215.5.