Castle, Spurs Backcourt Powers Game 6 Rout to Reach Western Finals
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MINNEAPOLIS — A blistering performance from San Antonio’s guards pushed the Spurs past the Minnesota Timberwolves 139-109 on Friday night, closing the Western Conference semifinal series in six games and setting up a conference-final matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Rookie guard Stephon Castle led all scorers with 32 points, adding 11 rebounds and six assists. He, De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper combined for nearly half of San Antonio’s offense as the club posted its third-highest point total in a playoff game.
Fox finished with 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, while Harper tallied 15 points on 6-of-8. By the end of the third quarter the trio had contributed 58.2 percent of the Spurs’ scoring, connecting on 23 of 30 shots overall and 9 of 12 from beyond the arc while handing out 15 assists. San Antonio drained a franchise-playoff-record 18 three-pointers.
“It could be anybody’s night,” Castle said. His five three-pointers marked a personal best for either the regular season or postseason.
The emphasis on the perimeter punished a Minnesota defense focused on Victor Wembanyama. The 7-foot-4 center posted 19 points, six rebounds and three blocks, becoming only the second player since blocks were first tracked in 1974—alongside former Spur David Robinson—to collect at least 200 points, 100 rebounds and 40 blocks in his first 10 playoff games.
Castle became just the fifth Spur to record at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a series-clinching game, joining Manu Ginóbili, Tim Duncan, Robinson and George Gervin. Fox’s 80 percent shooting night made him the first Spur since Kawhi Leonard in 2017 to score 20 or more on that level of efficiency in the postseason.
San Antonio opened the game with Castle and Fox accounting for 28 of the team’s 36 first-quarter points. Castle scored 19 in the period on 7-of-9 shooting, including 3-for-3 from long range. “His temperament led to the right approach,” coach Mitch Johnson said. “When they play with fundamentals, their talent takes over.”
The Spurs will visit Paycom Center on Monday for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, the club’s first appearance in that round since 2017 and its 15th overall—third most since the conference format began in 1970-71.
“What we’re walking into on Monday is a different animal,” Harper said. “We’ve got to keep the foot on the gas.”
Source: ESPN
