Spurs clinch series, eliminate Timberwolves with 139-109 Game 6 win

The San Antonio Spurs closed out the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 139-109 win in Game 6 on Friday at Target Center in Minneapolis, sending San Antonio to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2017. Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and San Antonio finished the series in six games. (nba.com) The Spurs shot 55.7% from the field, made 18 of 38 3-point attempts and held a 60-29 rebounding edge, according to the NBA box score. Oklahoma City awaits next after finishing its own semifinal series earlier. ### How did San Antonio put the game away so early? (nba.com) San Antonio opened the second quarter with a 20-0 run and turned a competitive first period into a rout. NBA.com said Victor Wembanyama scored seven points during that burst, which pushed the Spurs to a 56-27 lead in the fifth minute of the quarter. Castle set the tone before that run took hold. The Spurs guard had 14 first-quarter points, including three 3-pointers and a three-point play, according to Reuters/Field Level Media. By halftime, Minnesota had trimmed the deficit to 74-61, but the Timberwolves never mounted a serious push in the second half. (nba.com) ### Which Spurs players drove the closeout win? Castle delivered the biggest line of the night. The 32 points came on 11-for-16 shooting, and he went 5-for-7 from 3-point range in just under 30 minutes, according to the NBA box score. (tpr.org) De'Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists, and Wembanyama finished with 19 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Julian Champagnie scored 18 points, Dylan Harper had 15 off the bench and Devin Vassell added 11 as San Antonio spread the scoring across its rotation. The Spurs also controlled the game with efficiency and size. (tpr.org) San Antonio outscored Minnesota 54-36 from 3-point range and posted 34 assists on 49 made field goals, while the Timberwolves managed five fewer turnovers but could not match the Spurs’ shooting or rebounding. (nba.com) ### What went wrong for Minnesota in the elimination game? Anthony Edwards scored 24 points for Minnesota, but he shot 9-for-26 from the field and 2-for-7 from 3-point range. Naz Reid added 18 points, Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 21, Jaden McDaniels had 13 and Ayo Dosunmu finished with 10 points and nine assists. (nba.com) Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert gave Minnesota little offensive support. Randle scored three points on 1-for-8 shooting, and Gobert finished scoreless with three rebounds in 21:35, according to the NBA box score and Reuters/Field Level Media. (nba.com) Minnesota also lost the possession battle on the glass. The Timberwolves were outrebounded 60-29 and gave up 12 offensive rebounds, a gap that helped San Antonio keep adding to its lead even after Minnesota settled briefly in the second quarter. ### What did the series show before the conference finals? (nba.com) The six-game series ended with San Antonio averaging 120.7 points to Minnesota’s 104.5, according to the NBA playoff series page. Wembanyama led the Spurs in the series at 19.8 points per game, while Edwards led Minnesota at 23.7. (nba.com) Friday’s result also completed a sharp turn for a Spurs team that had not been in the playoffs since 2019, according to Reuters/Field Level Media. Minnesota, by contrast, had reached the Western Conference finals in each of the previous two seasons before this second-round exit. (nba.com) ### When do the Spurs play Oklahoma City? Game 1 of the Western Conference finals is scheduled for Monday in Oklahoma City. NBA.com’s live playoff recap listed the opener for 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, with the top-seeded Thunder hosting the second-seeded Spurs. (nba.com) Oklahoma City entered the matchup as the defending NBA champion, and the Spurs advanced there after closing the Timberwolves out on the road Friday night. The next milestone in San Antonio’s postseason run comes Monday, when the series opens in Oklahoma City. (tpr.org) (nba.com)