‘I had to make a statement’: Wembanyama’s Spurs knock Timberwolves out of NBA playoffs

The San Antonio Spurs were well on their way to the Western Conference finals in the fourth quarter when Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards went down to their bench to briefly offer his congratulations. The young Spurs left no doubt they’re already a serious NBA title contender.

Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs romped past the Timberwolves 139-109 on Friday night in Minneapolis to finish in the second-round series in six games and reach the conference finals for the first time since 2017. Stephon Castle had 32 points and 11 rebounds in another dominant performance from the backcourt.

The Spurs will face defending champion Oklahoma City in Game 1 on Monday night. The Thunder swept their first two series.

Highlights from Spurs-Timberwolves Game 6

Wembanyama was well guarded by the Wolves in Game 6. He had 19 points, six rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes. But he still served as a constant defensive deterrent in the paint – handling Minnesota’s physical play days after his stunning ejection in Game 4 for elbowing Naz Reid in the face – and he dutifully joined the Spurs in transition whenever they had the opportunity to run.

“I had to make a statement coming back,” Wembanyama told Amazon Prime’s postgame broadcast. “I knew there was going to be a certain narrative, but I felt like if I gave in to the physicality and the dirtiness, that would have helped them, and I knew I couldn’t go over the edge again, so I had to beat them by playing basketball.”

The size, smarts and shooting touch of the Spurs guards were too much for the Wolves, who predictably had their hands full with the 7ft 4in Wembanyama.

De’Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists and rookie Dylan Harper had 15 points off the bench for the Spurs, who set their franchise postseason record for three-pointers made by going 18 for 38.

“I just tip my hat to them,” Edwards said. “They were just the better team.”

The Spurs outscored the Wolves by a whopping 97 points in the series and never once trailed by double digits. The Spurs breezed by the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in the first round.

“Of course we’re confident, but we need to keep the right confidence level,” Wembanyama said. “Right now, I’m not even thinking about it. I’m just thinking about recovering.”

Edwards had 24 points on 9-for-26 shooting for the Wolves, who got another spark from reserves Terrence Shannon (21 points) and Naz Reid (18 points) but were again flustered by the Spurs and their relentless switch-heavy defense.

“Defensively, man, he’s incredible,” Edwards said of Wembanyama. “He changes every shot at the rim, he goes to the rim every time after every block, whether it’s goaltending or not, he’s going to go up and challenge it. It’s tough.”

This no-show in the elimination game might’ve felt familiar to Wolves fans, who have otherwise enjoyed an unprecedented run of success in the playoffs over the last three years.

Minnesota trailed by 33 points at half-time in a 30-point loss at Oklahoma City in the Game 5 ouster in the Western Conference finals last year and were down by 29 points at the break to Dallas in losing the Western Conference finals in 2024 in a 21-point loss in Game 5.

Cleveland Cavaliers 94-115 Detroit Pistons

Cade Cunningham scored 21 points and the top-seeded Detroit Pistons dominated the second half, beating the Cavaliers 115-94 in Cleveland to force a Game 7 in their Eastern Conference second-round series. The decisive game is Sunday in Detroit.

Jalen Duren had 15 points and 11 rebounds while Daniss Jenkins also scored 15 for the Pistons, who have won four games this postseason when facing elimination. They were down 3-1 to Orlando before winning the last three to advance out of the first round.

James Harden scored 23 points for Cleveland, who suffered their first home loss of the postseason. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley scored 18 apiece.