The Spurs convincingly put away the Timberwolves and advanced to their first Western Conference Finals since 2017. | Full breakdown
SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs are one win away from their first trip to the Western Conference Finals since 2017 as they head to Minneapolis for Game 6 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
San Antonio seized a 3-2 series lead with a commanding 126-97 victory in Game 5 and now has an opportunity to close out the series and advance to face the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round. Momentum appears firmly on the Spurs’ side after their most complete performance of the postseason.
Victor Wembanyama led the way in the Game 5 rout with 27 points and 17 rebounds, while Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson sparked the second unit with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting. The game was tied at 61 midway through the third quarter before San Antonio overwhelmed Minnesota down the stretch, outscoring the Timberwolves 65-36 over the final 19 minutes. The Spurs also enter Friday’s matchup with a clean injury report, giving them a healthy roster as they attempt to finish the series on the road.
Still, Minnesota has shown throughout the postseason that they’re dangerous when facing elimination.
The Timberwolves advanced past the Denver Nuggets in a first-round Game 6 despite playing without Anthony Edwards, Ayo Dosunmu and Donte DiVincenzo, reinforcing the resilience that has defined the franchise’s recent playoff runs. Minnesota is 3-2 in elimination games over its last three postseason appearances, including three such victories during its 2024 playoff campaign.
The Timberwolves will again be shorthanded entering Game 6. DiVincenzo has been ruled out for the remainder of the season, while Terrence Shannon Jr. is questionable after suffering a head contusion in Game 5. Shannon struggled in the loss, scoring two points on 0-for-5 shooting in 17 minutes.
Even with San Antonio carrying the momentum into Minneapolis, the Spurs know closing out a battle-tested Timberwolves team will not come easy.
Read on for live updates from the game.
FINAL: Spurs 139, 109
End of 3Q: Spurs 110, Timberwolves 84
Stephon Castle’s hot start never simmered as he entered the 4th quarter with more assists (5) than shots missed (10-14 FG) as the Spurs look to close out Game 6 and the series.
3Q, 3:59 remaining: Spurs 104, Timberwolves 76
De’Aaron Fox seems to have reached his stride in Game 6, recording 21 points and seven assists with just under 16 minutes remaining in what could end up being the series clincher for the Spurs.
HALF: Spurs 74, Timberwolves 61
Minnesota was able to cut the lead to 13 before the end of the half, but the Spurs look to hold on for two more quarters in hopes of closing out the series tonight!
2Q, 3:26 remaining: Spurs 64, Timberwolves 44
Every time it seems like the Wolves seem to catch some steam, the Spurs quickly put it out on the offensive end keeping it a 20-point lead with three and a half left in the first 24 minutes of action.
2Q, 7:03 remaining: Spurs 56, Timberwolves 30
It wasn’t until four minutes and 57 seconds into the second frame that Minnesota scored a bucket, snapping a remarkable 20-0 run by San Antonio to start the quarter. The Timberwolves are shooting just 32% compared to 64% for San Antonio.
End of 1Q: Spurs 36, Timberwolves 27
De’Aaron Fox said earlier today that the Spurs would have to continue limiting Minnesota’s second-chance points if they wanted to end the series in six games. So far, so good: After one frame, San Antonio has outrebounded Minnesota 11-5.
Stephon Castle has a game-high 14 after a blistering first quarter for the young guard. Naz Reid leads the Timberwolves with 10.
1Q, 4:28 remaining: Spurs 25, Timberwolves 20
If Minnesota wants to extend the second-round series to a Game 7, they’ll likely need a big game from All-Star Anthony Edwards. So far, he’s got seven points on 3-of-4 shooting.
But Naz Reid is submitting a forceful performance already, with eight points in just two minutes off the bench for the Wolves.
1Q, 7:32 remaining: Spurs 18, Timberwolves 8
San Antonio is 4-of-5 from beyond the arc for a scorching start to the game. Two of those treys are courtesy of Stephon Castle, who also has a jam to round out an eight-point spurt to start the game.
Pregame
Fans showed up in force to the team’s outdoor watch party at The Rock at La Cantera.
It was announced online that it had reached capacity; officials previously indicated that 6,000 people would serve as the cutoff number.