'Played Like S--t,' De'Aaron Fox Explains How Spurs Addressed G1 Loss Before Win vs. Wolves in G2

De'Aaron Fox felt good about the San Antonio Spurs' chances of rebounding in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves because of how close the first game was despite their poor play.

Speaking to ESPN's Michael C. Wright after the Spurs evened up the series with a 133-95 victory on Wednesday, Fox explained they "played like s--t" in Game 1 and still had a chance to win at the end.

'We talked about how we were in a good place,' Fox said. "We played like s--t, and we lost [Game 1] by two."

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Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson echoed that sentiment, noting he spoke with Fox pregame about how to go at Minnesota's defense:

"The message was simple. We're at our best when he's in attack mode. He has probably the strongest ripple effect on our team when he's pushing the pace because you have [Stephon Castle] and Dylan [Harper] that follow suit with that. Then our shooters get shots in transition, Victor plays in space and so on. I didn't need to challenge him. I just wanted him to know that I may not always tell him that, but it's true. He has not overdribbled or overshot one time for our team. So when it's time for him to impose his will, it doesn't always have to be the last four minutes of the game."

San Antonio lost the series opener 104-102 on Monday. The 102 points were the team's fewest in a game since March 19 against the Phoenix Suns.

The Spurs' low scoring output was a combination of Minnesota's defense and poor shooting luck. They shot 44.8 percent overall, including 10-of-38 from three-point range.

Fox and Victor Wembanyama, who both shot more than 48.0 percent during the regular season, were a combined 10-of-31 for 21 points in Game 1.

Despite those numbers, the Spurs got a good three-point look from Julian Champagnie as time expired that would have given them a win if it had gone in.

This young Spurs team used their off day on Tuesday to regroup and put together one of their best all-around performances of the postseason so far in Game 2. The 38-point victory was the largest for the franchise in a playoff game since Game 6 against the Houston Rockets in the 2017 Western Conference semifinals.

Now, with things squared at 1-1, the series shifts to Minnesota for the next two games. The Spurs won both of their road games in the first round against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Wolves went 3-0 at home in their opening-round series win over the Denver Nuggets.

Game 3 between the Spurs and Timberwolves at the Target Center will be played on Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET.