Spurs Rout Timberwolves 139-109 in Game 6, Advance to Western Conference Finals Against Thunder
Stephon Castle erupted for 32 points as the Spurs closed out the Timberwolves 139-109 in Game 6, booking their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2017 against the OKC Thunder.
The San Antonio Spurs are heading to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2017, and they made sure there was nothing subtle about it. Led by a sensational 32-point performance from Stephon Castle and a combined 36 points from De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper, the Spurs dismantled the Minnesota Timberwolves 139-109 in Game 6 on Friday night at Target Center, closing out the second-round series 4-2 and setting up a blockbuster showdown with the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
For a franchise that spent years in a deliberate rebuild after Tim Duncan’s retirement, this moment carries enormous weight. San Antonio finished the regular season 62-20, earning the No. 2 seed in the West — their first 60-win campaign since 2016-17 — and they have now knocked out the sixth-seeded Timberwolves in convincing fashion. The message from this team is unmistakable: the Spurs are back, and they are built to compete at the highest level.
Castle Takes Center Stage With a Career Playoff Performance
While Victor Wembanyama has been the face of this Spurs renaissance, Friday night belonged to Stephon Castle. The young guard was a force at both ends of the floor, pouring in 32 points on efficient shooting while helping dismantle whatever defensive schemes Minnesota attempted. It was a coming-out performance on the national stage, with the kind of poise and execution that veterans twice his age struggle to produce in elimination games.
De’Aaron Fox contributed 18 points and continued his role as the engine of the Spurs’ offense in transition, while Dylan Harper added 18 of his own as part of a guard rotation that Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves simply had no answer for. San Antonio controlled momentum from the opening minutes, silenced the Target Center crowd early, and never let Minnesota build the kind of run that could threaten their grip on the series.
Wembanyama, who erupted for 27 points and 15 rebounds in San Antonio’s Game 5 victory to seize a 3-2 series lead, finished Game 6 with a quieter but still impactful line of 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks. He did not need to dominate the stat sheet; the Spurs’ depth made sure of that. His presence remained a constant deterrent, and his seven free throws — he went 7-for-9 from the line — demonstrated how opponents continue to foul him rather than allow clean looks.
Edwards and Minnesota Fall Short Despite Best Efforts
Anthony Edwards had his moments, but struggled with efficiency throughout the night, finishing 9-of-26 from the field. The Timberwolves, who won the two games in this series when Edwards was at his explosive best, could never find the sustained offensive rhythm necessary to keep pace with San Antonio’s firepower. Karl-Anthony Towns was held in check, and Minnesota’s perimeter shooting went cold at exactly the wrong moments.
It was a disappointing exit for a Timberwolves team that showed genuine fight in stretches of this series — they won Game 1 on the road and pushed the Spurs in Game 4 — but ultimately were outmatched by San Antonio’s depth and Wembanyama’s two-way impact over the course of six games. Minnesota will now turn its attention to the offseason, searching for answers to a frontcourt puzzle that this series exposed in stark fashion.
What Comes Next: Spurs vs. Thunder in the Western Conference Finals
The Western Conference Finals tip off May 18 in Oklahoma City, where the defending champion Thunder hold home-court advantage after finishing the regular season 64-18. Oklahoma City swept the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 in the second round to advance, a dominant performance that underscored why they enter as heavy favorites. Sportsbooks have installed the Thunder as -238 moneyline favorites in Game 1, with San Antonio priced at +195, and the series spread sits at OKC -6.5 for the opener.
Despite the odds, the Spurs have a compelling case to make this a competitive series. San Antonio went 4-1 against Oklahoma City in the regular season, suggesting the young core knows how to solve the problems the Thunder present. Wembanyama’s ability to guard and alter shots at the rim gives the Spurs a defensive anchor capable of slowing SGA and OKC’s supporting cast, while Castle, Fox, and Harper provide the offensive firepower to push the pace and create mismatches on the other end. For those looking at DraftKings Sportsbook, this series is drawing heavy interest from bettors on both sides, with the Spurs’ series price making them an intriguing underdog play given their regular-season dominance against OKC.
San Antonio’s odds to win the NBA Finals currently sit at +320, while Oklahoma City is listed as the overall title favorite at -165. The basketball world will be watching closely when this rivalry reignites Sunday night. The Spurs have earned their spot, and if Friday night’s performance is any indication, they will not be going quietly.