Spurs clinch series, eliminate Timberwolves in Game 6

San Antonio closed out Minnesota with a 139-109 road win on Friday night, sending the Spurs to the Western Conference finals for a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, while Victor Wembanyama added 19 points in the Game 6 victory. (apnews.com) The result gave San Antonio the series 4-2 after the Spurs entered the playoffs as the West’s No. 2 seed and Minnesota as the No. 6 seed. Friday’s margin underscored how decisively the Spurs finished the series. Castle shot 11-of-16 from the field and made 5 of 7 attempts from 3-point range, according to game reports and highlights published after the game. (nba.com) NBA.com’s series page lists San Antonio with a 120.7-104.5 edge in average points across the six games. ### How did San Antonio finish off the series in Game 6? Castle’s 32-point night anchored a Spurs offense that pulled away early and never let Minnesota recover. The Associated Press reported that San Antonio “raced past” the Timberwolves, and NBA.com’s recap page listed Castle as the game’s top scorer and rebounder for the Spurs. (apnews.com) The 139 points were San Antonio’s highest total of the series. NBA.com’s series summary shows the Spurs topped 130 points twice against Minnesota, including a 133-95 win earlier in the matchup, and averaged 25.8 assists per game over the six contests. (youtube.com) ### Why was Castle’s performance the standout detail? Castle combined volume with efficiency. The rookie guard’s 11-for-16 shooting line and 5-for-7 mark from beyond the arc gave San Antonio scoring punch without the high turnover or low-efficiency profile that often comes with a 30-point playoff game. His all-around line also extended beyond scoring. (apnews.com) Castle added 11 rebounds and six assists, numbers that reflected how often the ball was in his hands and how much of the game San Antonio controlled on both ends. ### What did the series look like from start to finish? (nba.com) NBA.com’s series page shows San Antonio winning the matchup 4-2 and outscoring Minnesota by more than 16 points per game on average. The Spurs also held the Timberwolves to 104.5 points per game across the series, compared with San Antonio’s 120.7. Minnesota reached the second round after eliminating Denver, but the Timberwolves could not sustain offense against San Antonio over six games. (youtube.com) AP reported that Anthony Edwards acknowledged the result afterward, saying, “I just tip my hat to them.” (apnews.com) ### Who is next for the Spurs? Oklahoma City is next after the Thunder advanced to the Western Conference finals from the other side of the bracket. NBA.com’s playoff bracket and conference finals page list the matchup as No. 1 Thunder against No. 2 Spurs. (nba.com) The pairing matches the top two seeds in the Western Conference. Search results from USA Today and NBA.com both identified the Spurs-Thunder series as the next round immediately after San Antonio’s Game 6 win. ### When does the next series start? (usnews.com) Game 1 is scheduled for Monday, May 18, at 8:30 p.m. ET, according to NBA.com’s Western Conference finals page. The same page lists Game 2 for Wednesday, May 20, before the series shifts to San Antonio for Games 3 and 4 on May 22 and May 24. (nba.com) NBA.com said the conference finals will be carried by NBC and Peacock. The league’s updated 2026 playoff schedule says the page will be revised as postseason scheduling is officially announced. (nba.com) (usatoday.com)