Spurs eliminate Timberwolves with 139-109 Game 6 win

San Antonio closed out Minnesota on Friday night with its most lopsided win of the series, beating the Timberwolves 139-109 at Target Center to take the Western Conference semifinal in six games. Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and De’Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists in 24 minutes. (nba.com) Victor Wembanyama scored 19 points with six rebounds and three blocks as San Antonio shot 55.7% from the field and 47.4% from 3-point range. (apnews.com) The result sends San Antonio to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2017. (nba.com) The Spurs won the series 4-2 after averaging 120.7 points across the six games, while Minnesota averaged 104.5. ### How did the Spurs put Game 6 away so fast? San Antonio scored 39 points in the first quarter and 77 by halftime, taking control before Minnesota could settle into the game. The Spurs finished with 18 made 3-pointers, 34 assists and a 60-29 rebounding edge. Castle set the tone early with efficient scoring, finishing 11-for-16 from the field and 5-for-7 from beyond the arc. (apnews.com) Fox went 8-for-10 and hit all three of his 3-point attempts, giving San Antonio two guards who consistently broke down Minnesota’s defense. (nba.com) ### Which numbers best explain the margin? The Spurs’ shooting line was the clearest separator: 49-for-88 overall, compared with Minnesota’s 40-for-106. San Antonio also grabbed 48 defensive rebounds, limiting the Timberwolves to one-shot possessions for much of the night. (nba.com) Minnesota committed only five turnovers, but that did not offset the shot-volume gap created by missed attempts and lost rebounds. Julius Randle scored three points on 1-for-8 shooting, and Rudy Gobert was held scoreless in 21 minutes. (nba.com) ### What did Minnesota get from Anthony Edwards? Anthony Edwards scored 24 points in 35 minutes, but he shot 9-for-26 from the field and 2-for-7 from 3-point range. He added two rebounds, two assists and three steals, but Minnesota never cut deeply enough into the deficit to make his scoring matter late. (nba.com) Terrence Shannon Jr. added 21 points off the bench and Naz Reid scored 18, giving the Timberwolves some second-unit production after the game had already tilted heavily toward San Antonio. Ayo Dosunmu had 10 assists, but Minnesota was outscored by 30 overall. (nba.com) ### How much did San Antonio’s young core drive this series? Castle’s Game 6 line capped a strong series in which San Antonio’s backcourt repeatedly pressured Minnesota’s perimeter defense. NBA.com listed Wembanyama as the Spurs’ series leader at 19.8 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, while Castle’s 32-point closeout performance became the headline number from the final game. (nba.com) Dylan Harper added 15 points in 25 minutes on Friday, and San Antonio got 18 points from Julian Champagnie. The balance showed up across the box score: eight Spurs players scored at least six points, and five reached double figures. (nba.com) ### What comes next for the Spurs? The next series is set against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the top seed in the West. NBA.com lists Game 1 of the Western Conference finals for Monday, May 18, at 8:30 p.m. ET, with Oklahoma City holding home-court advantage. (nba.com) Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, also in Oklahoma City, before the series shifts to San Antonio for Game 3 on Friday, May 22. The matchup puts Wembanyama and Castle against a Thunder team led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2)