Latin America Sports Daily for Wednesday, May 13, 2026

01

Wembanyama’s Bounceback: 27/17 and a 29-Point Spurs Win Push San Antonio Within One of WCF

NBA

Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) returned from his Game 4 ejection to score 27 points, grab a playoff career-high 17 rebounds, dish 5 assists and block 3 shots in a 126-97 Game 5 win at the Frost Bank Center on Tuesday, May 12. According to NBA.com, the 7-foot-4 Frenchman scored 18 of the Spurs’ first 24 points in six minutes — an opening flourish that set the tone and left the Timberwolves chasing the entire night. Coach Gregg Popovich’s side now lead the Western Conference semifinal 3-2 with Game 6 in Minneapolis on Friday, May 15.

How it happened

• Q1, opening 6 minutes — Wembanyama (Spurs) scores 16 of San Antonio’s first 24 points; quarter ends with him on 18 points and 6 rebounds.
• Q2 — Spurs build to a 58-47 halftime lead; Stephon Castle adds 9, Keldon Johnson 8 off the bench.
• Q3, 7:26 — Timberwolves rally back to tie 61-61 through Ayo Dosunmu and Jaden McDaniels.
• Q3 closing — Wembanyama answers; San Antonio outscore Minnesota 30-12 over the rest of the period to take a 91-73 lead.
• Q4 — Spurs extend the gap; final 126-97. Sixth Man of the Year candidate Keldon Johnson finishes with 21 points (8-of-11 shooting).

Key moment

According to Yahoo Sports, Wembanyama said afterwards: “I feel like the rage-baiting would have been one of the strategies, so I feel like I had to stay composed.” The Game 4 ejection — for slamming an elbow into Naz Reid (Timberwolves) — had been the talking point all weekend; his response was a 53% shooting performance, 68 points in the paint as a team total, and a defensive cohesiveness that held Minnesota to 39% from the field. Stephon Castle finished with 17 points (8-of-11), 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals; rookie Dylan Harper, a game-time decision with knee soreness, posted 12 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists in 25 minutes.

What’s next

Game 6 is on Friday, May 15 at Target Center in Minneapolis (9:30 p.m. ET, Prime). If the Spurs close out, they will face the Oklahoma City Thunder — who swept the Lakers on Monday and are 8-0 in the postseason — in the Western Conference Finals starting Tuesday, May 19 at the Paycom Center. The Cavaliers-Pistons series goes to a Game 5 in Detroit later on Wednesday after Donovan Mitchell’s 43-point Game 4 (39 in the second half) tied that series 2-2.

02

Belgrano and Argentinos Set First Apertura Semi: Lowest Seeds Through

Apertura

The lowest seeds came through in the first two Apertura quarterfinals on Tuesday, May 12. At the Estadio Julio César Villagra in Córdoba, Belgrano de Córdoba beat Unión de Santa Fe 2-0 to set up a semifinal against Argentinos Juniors, who beat Huracán 1-0 at La Paternal earlier in the evening at the Estadio Diego Armando Maradona. According to La Nación coverage, Belgrano took the lead on an Adrián Guillermo Sánchez header midway through the second half and sealed the tie through substitute Ramiro Hernándes in the closing minutes. Argentinos won their match through a goal at La Paternal — eliminating the side that had earlier shocked Boca Juniors at La Bombonera on Saturday.

How it happened

• Belgrano 2-0 Unión (19:00, Estadio Julio César Villagra) — Andrés Merlos referee. Sánchez header opens at 62′; Hernándes substitute seals at 86′. Belgrano without suspended Lucas Passerini.
• Argentinos 1-0 Huracán (21:30, Estadio Diego Armando Maradona) — Fernando Echenique referee. Huracán without suspended Eric Ramírez and Fabio Pereyra, and unable to repeat their Boca heroics. Their reduced bench effectively decided the match.

Key moment

Sánchez’s opener was a corner-kick conversion; Belgrano coach Ricardo Zielinski (who in October will face Argentinos as a semifinal opponent) had drilled the routine throughout the preceding week. The semifinal pairing produces an unusual moment: Argentinos Juniors finished third in Zona B, Belgrano fifth in Zona B — making this the lowest-combined-seed semifinal pair in any Apertura playoffs since the new format launched. Three of the four 2025 finalists (Estudiantes, Boca, Vélez) are all out; only Racing or River from the “big four” survive — and both still face Wednesday quarterfinals.

What’s next

The Argentinos-Belgrano semifinal is set for Saturday-Sunday, May 16-17 at the higher-seeded team’s stadium (Argentinos as the better Zona-B finisher). The other semifinal — Rosario Central or Racing vs River or Gimnasia La Plata — will be decided on Wednesday, May 13: Rosario Central host Racing at 18:45 at the Gigante de Arroyito (Di María returns), then River host Gimnasia LP at 21:30 at the Estadio Monumental. The final is scheduled for Sunday, May 24 at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba.

03

Three Brazilian Giants Through: Inter, Fluminense, Cruzeiro Reach Copa do Brasil Round of 16

Copa do Brasil

Tuesday’s Copa do Brasil Round of 32 returns delivered three Brasileirão giants into the Round of 16 — and roughly R$9 million in CBF prize money distributed between them, according to NSC Total. Internacional beat Athletic-MG 3-2 at the Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre to advance 5-3 on aggregate, with goals from Rafael Borré, Allex and the Argentine left-back Agustín Bernabei. Fluminense beat Operário-PR 2-1 at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro after a 0-0 first leg in Ponta Grossa. And Cruzeiro beat Goiás 1-0 at the Mineirão in Belo Horizonte, advancing 3-2 on aggregate.

Cruzeiro’s win was the night’s most decisive single performance. According to CNN Brasil, Kaio Jorge converted a 31st-minute penalty after a VAR review awarded a Ramon Menezes (Goiás) handball inside the area. Goalkeeper Tadeu (Goiás) kept his side in the tie with three crucial first-half saves — including a fingertip-deflection on a Fabrício Bruno header and a low save on a Kaiki Bruno strike from inside the area — but could not prevent Kaio Jorge’s spot kick. Tadeu later took a heavy collision in the closing minutes; with Goiás out of substitutions, midfielder Machado was forced to go in goal. The 26,337-strong crowd at the Mineirão produced R$1.21 million in gate revenue.

According to coverage by O Tempo, Cruzeiro coach Artur Jorge praised his side’s “tactical understanding” and signalled the priority shift to Saturday’s Libertadores Group D decider at Boca Juniors in La Bombonera. Group D currently has Cruzeiro level with Universidad Católica on 7 points, with Boca on 6 — meaning Tuesday, May 19 in La Bombonera is the most pivotal fixture in the Brazilian club’s continental season. Internacional, meanwhile, advance to the Round of 16 alongside Fluminense and Cruzeiro; the next Copa do Brasil rounds are scheduled for August.

04

CONMEBOL Ruling Still Outstanding; Brazil Squad Watch Sharpens

Off-field

Six days after CONMEBOL’s Direction of Competitions and Operations cancelled the Independiente Medellín vs Flamengo Group A fixture, the Disciplinary Committee has still not awarded the three points. According to CONMEBOL’s official communique, the case remains under review by the Confederation’s Judicial Bodies. The standard protocol when home-club security failures cause cancellation is a 3-0 walkover to the visiting team — which would push Flamengo to 10 points and into a virtually unbreakable lead in Group A. Independiente Medellín, who lost their Liga BetPlay playoff campaign on May 3 against Águilas Doradas, have not appealed. The fan unrest that forced the cancellation — with flares, fireworks and an attempted pitch invasion by ultras protesting the club’s board — remains the central issue for the Tribunal.

In Brazil, the Carlo Ancelotti pre-list deadline is Monday, May 18 — five days from now. According to Cruzeiro’s club website, the Belo Horizonte club has one of the most representative groups on Brazil’s projected list, alongside Flamengo, Palmeiras and Fluminense. The contested names continue to centre on Hulk (Fluminense, ineligible to play club football until July 20 due to the closed Brazilian transfer window), Neymar (Santos, six goals in 2026 in 16 matches but recurring injury concerns), and Thiago Silva (Fluminense, captain at 41 years old). The Brazilian Football Confederation has not publicly commented on the pre-list rumours.

In Fluminense’s parallel reality, the team played Operário-PR on Tuesday at the Maracanã with Hulk in the stands rather than the squad — his July 20 registration window remains the structural constraint. Coach Luis Zubeldía now turns to the Brasileirão Round 16 visit to Cruzeiro on Saturday, May 17, then home against Bolívar in the Libertadores Group C decider on May 19. Both fixtures matter: the Tricolor sit third in the Brasileirão with 27 points and last in Group C with 2 points, with only direct qualification or a Sudamericana playoff spot in play.

05

NBA Conference Semifinals Standings After Tuesday May 12

Standings

Conference Finals start Tuesday, May 19 (Oklahoma City vs Spurs/Wolves winner) and Wednesday, May 20 (New York vs Pistons/Cavaliers winner).

06

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

How did Wembanyama perform in his return after the Game 4 ejection?

Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) scored 27 points, grabbed 17 rebounds (a playoff career-high), dished 5 assists and blocked 3 shots in a 126-97 Game 5 home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Frost Bank Center on May 12. He scored 18 of San Antonio’s first 24 points in the opening 6 minutes — including 16 points in his first stretch — and dominated both ends of the floor on 9-of-16 shooting. The Spurs lead the Western Conference semifinal 3-2 with Game 6 in Minneapolis on Friday, May 15. Wembanyama had been ejected in the second quarter of Game 4 on Sunday for slamming his elbow into Naz Reid’s neck.

Who advanced from the Apertura quarterfinals on Tuesday?

Belgrano de Córdoba beat Unión de Santa Fe 2-0 at the Estadio Julio César Villagra — Adrián Guillermo Sánchez headed in the opener at minute 62 from a corner; substitute Ramiro Hernándes sealed the tie at minute 86. Argentinos Juniors beat Huracán 1-0 at the Estadio Diego Armando Maradona. The first Apertura semifinal will be Argentinos Juniors vs Belgrano de Córdoba on May 16-17, with Argentinos hosting as the higher-seeded Zona B team. The other Apertura quarterfinals — Rosario Central vs Racing and River Plate vs Gimnasia La Plata — are scheduled for Wednesday, May 13.

Which Brazilian clubs advanced in the Copa do Brasil on Tuesday?

Three Brasileirão Série A clubs advanced to the Round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil: Internacional beat Athletic-MG 3-2 at the Beira-Rio with goals from Rafael Borré, Allex and Agustín Bernabei (5-3 aggregate); Fluminense beat Operário-PR 2-1 at the Maracanã (2-1 aggregate after a goalless first leg); and Cruzeiro beat Goiás 1-0 at the Mineirão via a 31st-minute Kaio Jorge penalty (3-2 aggregate after a 2-2 first leg in Goiânia). Each club earned R$3 million from the CBF for advancing. The Copa do Brasil Round of 16 is scheduled for August 1-2 (first leg) and August 5-6 (second leg).