MINNEAPOLIS -- As a veteran group, the San Antonio Spurs are familiar with making big plays down the stretch to win games.

The young Minnesota Timberwolves are still trying to figure out how to do just that.

On Tuesday at Target Center, it was the Spurs teaching the Wolves a painful lesson.

San Antonio put together an 8-0 run in the closing minutes to escape Minneapolis with a 100-93 win. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points to help the Spurs overcome a nine-point halftime deficit.

The Spurs (54-16) swept their season series with the Wolves, winning all four games this year against Minnesota. It was the second time in as many meetings with Minnesota that San Antonio walked away with a seven-point margin of victory.

"I know we haven't lost here in a long time," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They haven't beaten us, and they wanted it and showed it in the first half. We got our composure back and played with the aggressiveness you have to play with to win in the NBA."

Kawhi Leonard added 22 points to supplement Aldridge's big night, and Pau Gasol scored 11 points off the bench for the Spurs, who won their second game in a row.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 14 rebounds for Minnesota -- his 53rd double-double of the season -- in the loss. Andrew Wiggins scored 22 points for the Wolves, who had a costly turnover down the stretch that halted any chance of a comeback.

The Wolves (28-42) got within 92-90 with 2:29 remaining on a pair of Wiggins free-throws. Towns then completed a three-point play on a drive in the lane to put Minnesota up 93-92 with 2:04 to play.

Leonard responded with a jumper that put San Antonio back on top with 54 seconds remaining. After Minnesota came up short on its next possession, Gasol sank a pair of free throws to give the Spurs a three-point cushion.

"We came out a little more aggressive than we did in the first half," Gasol said. "All of a sudden, four or five minutes into the third quarter, we were right back in it. I think that was the key."

Two free throws by Leonard with 20.1 seconds remaining clinched the victory for San Antonio.

Tuesday's loss was the fourth in a row for Minnesota, which has struggled to close out close games during the skid.

"When the pressure's greatest, you have to be at your best," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We have to be able to execute when the pressure is turned up, and those are the habits you build day after day."

Minnesota used a 14-0 run in the second quarter to jump out to a 40-30 lead. Shabazz Muhammad came off the bench to score eight of the Wolves' 14 points during that stretch, while newcomer Omri Casspi's first points in a Minnesota uniform capped the run.

A 3-pointer by Jonathon Simmons just before halftime trimmed Minnesota's lead to nine at the break. That seemed to give the Spurs some new life, as they came out after halftime with an added purpose.

San Antonio, led by a 12-point third quarter from Leonard, outscored Minnesota 31-16 in the period to take a 73-67 lead into the fourth. The Spurs' defense also forced the Wolves to turn the ball over 10 times in the third quarter alone.

"Our goal is to learn that we've got to play 48 minutes with that intensity instead of a half or three quarters," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said.

With the defeat, Minnesota is guaranteed a losing record this season -- the 12th straight year the Wolves will finish under .500. The Timberwolves recently were eyeing the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference, but four straight losses put a dent in their postseason hopes.

"It's never fun to lose, especially when we're chasing something," Wiggins said. "We've got to keep playing hard and try to get some wins."

NOTES: Timberwolves F Nemanja Bjelica underwent successful surgery Tuesday on his injured left foot. The operation, which was performed by Dr. Martin O'Malley in New York, repaired a fractured navicular bone in Bjelica's foot. Bjelica averaged 6.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in 65 contests with Minnesota this season. ... F Omri Casspi made his debut one day after signing a contract with the Wolves. Casspi finished with five points in 22 minutes. ... Spurs F David Lee did not play due to a foot injury.