Victor Wembanyama delivered a standout performance, propelling the San Antonio Spurs to the brink of the Western Conference finals versus the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 3-2 series lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The young star tallied 27 points - with 18 coming in the opening quarter - guiding San Antonio to a convincing 126-97 triumph in game five of their best-of-seven matchup.

This impressive showing followed the 22-year-old's first career NBA ejection in the prior contest for striking an opponent with his elbow, from which he escaped without a ban.

A Spurs win in game six at Minneapolis on Friday would pave the way for a clash against the Thunder - the defending NBA title holders - after they dispatched the Los Angeles Lakers in a 4-0 sweep.

Regarding his nerves ahead of game five, Wembanyama remarked: "Very, very much. I mean, I was fresh, feeling good. But honestly, it's hard to tell if it was just getting fired up.

"Obviously, I'm going to be excited with butterflies, you know. So excitement is not something abnormal."

When questioned on Wembanyama, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson noted: "The one word I'd like to use [is] just mature.

"There's a lot that's happened in the last 48 hours, in the last game, and I think how that young man came out tonight and played in a variety of ways, in a variety of situations, was extremely mature."

San Antonio saw its 18-point second-quarter cushion evaporate as Minnesota tied the score at 61-61 just four minutes into the third.

However, the Spurs responded fiercely, claiming 30 of the subsequent 42 points to enter the fourth quarter ahead 91-73 - and they pulled away even more decisively from there.