San Antonio Spurs rout Timberwolves 139-109

The San Antonio Spurs closed out Minnesota 139-109 on Friday, May 15, at Target Center to win the Western Conference semifinal series 4-2 and advance to the Western Conference finals. Stephon Castle led San Antonio with 32 points and 11 rebounds, while De’Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists and Victor Wembanyama finished with 19 points in 27 minutes. (nba.com) San Antonio shot 55.7% from the field and made 18 of 38 from three-point range, according to the NBA box score. Oklahoma City now awaits the Spurs in a conference finals that begins Monday, May 18. (nba.com) ### How one-sided was Game 6? San Antonio built the game with its guards and perimeter shooting. Castle went 11-for-16 from the field and 5-for-7 from three, and Fox shot 8-for-10 as the Spurs reached 139 points and posted a plus-30 margin. The team finished with 34 assists and 60 rebounds. Minnesota never found an answer for San Antonio’s early pace. The NBA’s game page shows the Spurs won the series 4-2, and an Associated Press recap carried on NBA.com said San Antonio led by as many as 29 points in the first half. (nba.com) ### Which Spurs players set the tone? Stephon Castle gave San Antonio its clearest scoring punch. The second-year guard paired his 32 points with 11 rebounds and six assists, the NBA box score shows, and his scoring line led all players in Game 6. (nba.com) De’Aaron Fox controlled the game from the backcourt. Fox scored 21 points on 80% shooting and handed out nine assists, while rookie Dylan Harper added 15 points off the bench. Julian Champagnie scored 18 points and hit four threes. (nba.com) Victor Wembanyama did not need a huge scoring night to shape the result. Wembanyama had 19 points, six rebounds and three blocks, and the AP recap said Anthony Edwards told reporters afterward, “They were just the better team.” Wembanyama said, “Of course we’re confident, but we need to keep the right confidence level.” (nba.com) ### What went wrong for Minnesota? Anthony Edwards scored 24 points in 35:49, but he shot 9-for-26 and was minus-31. Julius Randle scored three points on 1-for-8 shooting, and Rudy Gobert was held scoreless in 21:35. (nba.com) Minnesota got 21 points from Terrence Shannon Jr. and 18 from Naz Reid, but the Timberwolves could not match San Antonio’s efficiency. The Wolves shot worse from the field, were out-rebounded 60-24 in defensive boards, and allowed five Spurs starters to score in double figures. (nba.com) ### What does the series result say about San Antonio’s path? The NBA playoff bracket lists San Antonio as the No. 2 seed and Oklahoma City as the No. 1 seed in the West finals. The Spurs reached this round by eliminating Minnesota in six games after splitting the first four games and then winning Games 5 and 6 by wide margins. (nba.com) NBA.com’s playoff page says Oklahoma City swept its way into the conference finals. The same page lists Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the Thunder’s postseason scoring leader at 29.1 points per game and Wembanyama as San Antonio’s at 20.3. (nba.com) ### When and where is Spurs-Thunder Game 1? Game 1 is scheduled for Monday, May 18, at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. NBA.com lists the tipoff at 8:30 p.m. ET, with Peacock and NBC carrying the game. The NBA schedule page for the series lists Game 2 on May 20 in Oklahoma City, followed by Game 3 on May 22 in San Antonio. (nba.com) If the series goes the distance, Game 7 is scheduled for May 30. (nba.com)