The San Antonio Spurs punched their ticket to the NBA Western Conference Finals with a commanding 139-109 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center in Minneapolis on May 15. Victor Wembanyama’s squad seized control early and never let their opponents mount a comeback.
This marks the Spurs’ first trip to the conference finals since 2017. They will face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, the defending champions, in a series widely anticipated as a thriller. Notably, San Antonio won four of their five regular-season meetings with the Thunder this season.
Stephon Castle was the standout performer, tallying 32 points and 11 rebounds on 11-of-16 shooting. De’Aaron Fox contributed 21 points, and Victor Wembanyama added 19 points. Wembanyama, who was ejected from Game 4 for a flagrant foul, delivered a disciplined performance without any similar missteps.
“I knew what they were trying to do, but if I retaliate with roughness, that only helps them,” Wembanyama said. “I had to beat them with basketball.”
The Spurs exploded out of the gate in the first quarter, dominating inside the paint behind Castle. Though the Timberwolves trimmed the deficit behind Anthony Edwards, San Antonio still led 74-61 at halftime. In the third quarter, they effectively doubled Edwards and built a 26-point lead while shooting 56% from the field.
Late in the game, Edwards walked over to congratulate the Spurs before both teams emptied their benches. “Making the Western Conference finals sounds surreal,” said Wembanyama, 22. “I’ve heard about this my whole life, and now it’s real.”
In the East, the Detroit Pistons forced a Game 7 by topping the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-94. Cade Cunningham led the way with 21 points, including five three-pointers, while Jalen Duren excelled on defense with 11 rebounds, three blocks, and one steal.
Trailing 3-2 in the series, the Pistons stormed to an early lead in the first quarter. After falling behind by six points, they answered with a 22-4 run to take a 39-27 advantage in the second quarter. The Cavaliers closed the gap to 54-51 at halftime, but Detroit dominated the third quarter 30-19, carrying a 14-point lead into the final period and never looking back.
“We played our brand of basketball, competed, and executed the system to the best of our ability,” Cunningham said. James Harden scored 23 points for Cleveland, while Donovan Mitchell managed just 18.
Game 7 is set for May 17 in Detroit. The winner will face either the Boston Celtics or the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
