The San Antonio Spurs are heading to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2017, thanks to a dominant 139-109 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night in Minneapolis. The win closed out the second-round series in six games, with rookie Stephon Castle delivering a standout performance of 32 points and 11 rebounds.
Spurs' Dominant Performance
Victor Wembanyama, despite being closely guarded throughout the game, contributed 19 points, six rebounds, and three assists in 27 minutes. His presence in the paint was a constant defensive deterrent, and he effectively joined the Spurs in transition whenever possible. After his controversial ejection in Game 4 for elbowing Naz Reid, Wembanyama emphasized the need to make a statement.
“I had to make a statement coming back,” Wembanyama told Amazon Prime’s postgame broadcast. “I knew there was going to be a certain narrative, but I felt like if I gave in to the physicality and the dirtiness, that would have helped them, and I knew I couldn’t go over the edge again, so I had to beat them by playing basketball.”
De’Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists, while rookie Dylan Harper chipped in 15 points off the bench. The Spurs set a franchise postseason record with 18 three-pointers on 38 attempts. The team outscored the Timberwolves by a staggering 97 points over the series and never trailed by double digits at any point.
Timberwolves' Struggles Continue
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 24 points on 9-for-26 shooting, while reserves Terrence Shannon (21 points) and Naz Reid (18 points) provided sparks. However, the Timberwolves were again flustered by the Spurs' relentless switch-heavy defense. Edwards praised Wembanyama's defensive impact: “Defensively, man, he’s incredible. He changes every shot at the rim, he goes to the rim every time after every block, whether it’s goaltending or not, he’s going to go up and challenge it. It’s tough.”
The loss marked another season-ending blowout for Minnesota, which faced similar defeats in previous postseason exits. The Timberwolves trailed by 33 points at halftime in a 30-point loss to Oklahoma City in last year's Western Conference finals Game 5, and were down by 29 points at the break to Dallas in the 2024 conference finals.
“I just tip my hat to them,” Edwards said. “They were just the better team.”
Next Up: Thunder
The Spurs will now face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Monday night. The Thunder swept their first two series and have been resting since May 7. Wembanyama expressed confidence but remained focused on recovery: “Of course we’re confident, but we need to keep the right confidence level. Right now, I’m not even thinking about it. I’m just thinking about recovering.”
Pistons Force Game 7
In other NBA action, the Detroit Pistons defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-94 in Cleveland to force a Game 7 in their Eastern Conference second-round series. Cade Cunningham scored 21 points, and Jalen Duren added 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Pistons have now won four games this postseason when facing elimination, including a first-round comeback from a 3-1 deficit against Orlando. James Harden scored 23 points for Cleveland, which suffered its first home loss of the postseason. Game 7 is set for Sunday in Detroit.
