Spurs aim to clinch series in Game 6 at home after 126-97 Game 5 rout

The San Antonio Spurs closed the series Friday with a 139-109 road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, sending San Antonio to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2017. NBA.com said the Spurs won the second-round series 4-2 after entering Game 6 with a 3-2 lead. Stephon Castle scored a game-high 32 points, and San Antonio again overwhelmed Minnesota after its 126-97 win in Game 5. The result shifted the story from whether San Antonio could finish the series to how decisively it did it. NBA.com listed the final score at 139-109 and said the Spurs will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round. Victor Wembanyama finished with 19 points, six rebounds and three blocks, while De’Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists. (nba.com) ### How did San Antonio finish the job so quickly? San Antonio opened the night by carrying over the edge it had built in Game 5, when it beat Minnesota by 29 points. NBA.com’s playoff series page shows the Spurs won Games 5 and 6 by a combined 59 points after the matchup had been tied 2-2. That two-game burst ended a series that began with Minnesota taking Game 1 by a 104-102 score. (nba.com) Friday’s margin also underscored how sharply the series turned late. NBA.com said San Antonio averaged 120.7 points in the six-game matchup, compared with 104.5 for Minnesota. The Spurs’ series leaders were Wembanyama at 19.8 points per game and 12.0 rebounds per game, while Anthony Edwards led Minnesota at 23.7 points per game. ### Who drove the Game 6 blowout? (nba.com) Stephon Castle delivered the biggest individual line of the night with 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes. NBA.com said the Spurs guard shot 11-for-16 from the field and 5-for-7 from 3-point range. His scoring led a balanced San Antonio attack that also got 18 points from Julian Champagnie. (nba.com) De’Aaron Fox gave San Antonio efficient backcourt production alongside Castle. NBA.com listed Fox with 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting, plus four rebounds, nine assists and two blocks. Wembanyama supplemented that with 19 points and rim protection, giving the Spurs three central contributors in double figures before the game tightened into any late drama. (nba.com) ### What changed after Minnesota had evened the series? Minnesota had pulled the series level at 2-2 before San Antonio responded with two straight wins. NBA.com’s live blog before Game 6 pointed to San Antonio’s paint advantage in Game 5, when the Spurs outscored the Timberwolves 68-36 inside. That interior control carried into the closeout game as San Antonio avoided a return trip home for a Game 7. (nba.com) Anthony Edwards entered Game 6 as Minnesota’s leading scorer in the series, but the Timberwolves could not extend the matchup. NBA.com’s series page lists Edwards at 23.7 points per game for the series, ahead of all Minnesota scorers, yet the Timberwolves dropped four of the final five games after winning the opener. ### Where does the series go from here? (nba.com) The next confirmed step is Oklahoma City. NBA.com said San Antonio advanced to meet the Thunder in the Western Conference finals after closing out Minnesota on Friday night. The Spurs had not reached that round since 2017, according to NBA.com’s Game 6 recap. (nba.com) May 16 playoff coverage from NBA.com listed the Spurs as winners of the series by a 4-2 margin and identified Oklahoma City as the next opponent. That conference finals matchup will determine which Western team advances to the NBA Finals. (nba.com)