Spurs reach West semifinals since 2017

The Spurs are back in the part of the bracket that used to feel normal in San Antonio and lately felt very far away. They closed out Portland 114-95 on April 29, won the series 4-1, and reached the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2017. That matters on its own. But the bigger thing is how they got there — not with a nostalgia act, and not by skipping the rebuild, but with Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, and a roster that suddenly looks ahead of schedule. (nba.com) ### What actually sent them through? Game 5 was the cleanest version of this Spurs team. Fox scored 21 points and poured in 13 in the fourth quarter, Wembanyama finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks, and San Antonio’s defense gradually turned the game into a(nba.com)he end. (tpr.org) ### Why is Wembanyama still the center of it? Because even on a night when he didn’t need 35, he bent the whole game. Six blocks only tells part of it. Portland had to see him on every drive, every lob, every late-clock attempt near the (tpr.org)e still being the most important defender on the floor. (tpr.org) ### So was this just a one-man story? Not really — and that’s the encouraging part for San Antonio. Fox gave them downhill creation and late-game control. The supporting cast gave them enough shooting and connective play to keep the offe(tpr.org)he Spurs didn’t need every possession to be Wembanyama improvising over two defenders. (nba.com) ### Why does “since 2017” hit so hard? Because that date marks the end of the old Spurs world. After that came the slow drift out of contention, then the full reset, then years where “development” was mostly a polite way to say losing with purpose. San Antonio did make t(nba.com)nchise has actually won a playoff series and moved into the second round since that 2017 run. (espn.com) ### Who’s next? Minnesota. The Timberwolves advanced by beating Denver in six games, which set up a second-round series with San Antonio, and the semifinal matchup opens Monday, May 4, in San Antonio. That changes the feel of this story a bit. The Spurs are(espn.com)knocked out a recent champion. (ksat.com) ### Why is the bracket suddenly interesting? Because San Antonio is the weird team left in the West. Some contenders got here by stacking veteran stars and trying to force a short window open. The Spurs got here with a franchise big man who(ksat.com)am standing, the timeline gets pulled forward fast. That’s what makes this more than a feel-good round-one win. (nba.com) ### What’s the catch against Minnesota? Shot creation under pressure. Portland let San Antonio dictate too much. Minnesota is much better at blowing up first actions and making teams work late into the clock. The Spurs have answers now — much more than they did a year ag(nba.com)he series is useful no matter what happens. (espn.com) ### Bottom line The news is simple: San Antonio is back in the Western semifinals. But the meaning is bigger than one round. The Spurs didn’t just end a drought. They made the rebuild feel real.