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may 16 2026MINNEAPOLIS. The San Antonio Spurs delivered another offensive masterclass, crushing the Minnesota Timberwolves 139-109 to close out their Western Conference Semifinals series 4-2 in the NBA playoffs. Stephon Castle led the Texas squad with 32 points and 11 rebounds in a performance that definitively confirmed San Antonio's championship credentials.
The Spurs will now face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Finals after a series in which they dominated Minnesota and finished with a total point differential of +97.
Although Victor Wembanyama remained the primary focus of the opposing defense, San Antonio's young perimeter players once again made all the difference. Stephon Castle was absolutely on fire from beyond the arc, opening the game by making his first five three-pointers and finishing with 32 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field.
De'Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists, while rookie Dylan Harper continued to provide tremendous energy off the bench with 15 points in another demonstration of the Texas team's enormous offensive depth.
San Antonio Spurs also set a new NBA playoff franchise record with 18 three-pointers made, continuously punishing Minnesota's defense and quickly extinguishing any local hopes of extending the series.
The opening minutes made it clear the game could become another nightmare for Minnesota. The Spurs found constant advantages through ball movement and transition speed, capitalizing on every defensive help generated by Victor Wembanyama's presence.
Although the French star had a much quieter offensive night following his dominant previous performances and finished with 19 points in 27 minutes, he completely dictated the opposing attack near the basket and allowed San Antonio to constantly run in transition.
Minnesota's defense never found answers for San Antonio's perimeter game. Stephon Castle, Fox, and Julian Champagnie continuously punished from three-point range, while Wembanyama continued to draw multiple defensive helpers inside the paint.
Champagnie finished with 18 points and four three-pointers in another solid performance from a Spurs team that continues to grow game after game in these NBA playoffs.
Minnesota Timberwolves competed in spurts but never managed to establish sufficient offensive continuity. Anthony Edwards finished with 24 points, though he needed 26 shots to get them and once again struggled mightily against San Antonio's aggressive switching defense.
Naz Reid and Terrence Shannon Jr. were the most productive bench players with 18 and 21 points respectively, while Julius Randle had a very difficult night with just three points on 1-of-8 shooting from the field.
The game was essentially decided before halftime. San Antonio completely dominated both sides of the floor and reached the break with a lead approaching 30 points, leaving the Target Center completely silenced.
The second half merely served to confirm San Antonio's enormous superiority throughout the entire series. Minnesota never seriously threatened the visiting lead, and the Spurs comfortably managed the score until closing out the series.
Anthony Edwards even went down to the San Antonio bench during the fourth quarter to briefly congratulate the Spurs players, publicly acknowledging the superiority shown by San Antonio throughout the entire series.
San Antonio Spurs continues to establish itself as one of the most impressive young projects in the entire NBA and will now face a spectacular matchup against Oklahoma City Thunder for a spot in the NBA Finals. Game 1 of the Western Finals will be played this Monday.
Minnesota Timberwolves, meanwhile, exits with another tough loss in a decisive Western series, repeating several competitive issues already seen in previous seasons.
