The highly anticipated Western Conference semifinal series between the Timberwolves and Spurs began in perfect fashion. Chef’s kiss. No notes. Billed as a star-studded matchup between two franchises led by Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Edwards , the undercard of the series is the matchup down low between two giant Frenchmen. Wembanyama, the 7’4” phenom from LeChesnay, France, will be battling his longtime mentor Rudy Gobert, the 7’1” defensive force who hails from Saint-Quentin, France. Before every fan at Frost Bank Center could get settled into their seats (although the pink, blue and gold shirts in San Antonio did look incredible at tipoff), the two big men were already putting on a show. MANNIX: Five Burning Questions for the NBA Playoffs’ Second Round On the first possession of the game, Timberwolves up-and-coming guard Terrence Shannon Jr. tried to use his speed to get to the rack for an easy layup. It worked all series against the Nuggets—but it did not work on Monday night.…