San Antonio vs. Minnesota, Final Score: Castle and Spurs close out Wolves 139-109, advance to West finals
Stephon Castle (hitting his first five threes consecutively) put up his most impressive shooting night of his young career and his team responded emphatically to Minnesota’s one extended push at the end of the first half. A Spurs squad that was primed for this closeout opportunity out-shot (56% to 38%) and out-rebounded (60-29) the Wolves in a dominant performance – all while throwing a block party (13 to 2) – before Anthony Edwards helped stage Minnesota’s one comeback try late in the second quarter. San Antonio’s starters doubled up their Wolves’ counterparts 101-50 in this decisive victory.
San Antonio’s Castle (32 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists) and De’Aaron Fox (21 points, 9 assists, and 2 blocks) supplied the necessary leadership and playmaking to win Game 6 decisively. Dylan Harper (13 points and 5 rebounds) again performed beyond his years. Victor Wembanyama (19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks) seemed content playing the facilitator role. Carter Bryant (3 points and 6 rebounds) capitalized on his important minutes and kept Spurs’ possessions alive while shortening Minnesota’s at the same time.
Until Anthony Edwards (24 points and 3 steals) got going later on, Naz Reid (18 points and 7 rebounds) and Terrence Shannon (21 points) valiantly kept Minnesota in the game. Jaden McDaniels (13 points and 3 assists) made his contributions in a third quarter where San Antonio outshined the Wolves 36-23. Julius Randle was a non-factor.
Wembanyama, Castle, and Castle combined to hit six of their first eight shots, including a driving lay-up for Fox, and two threes for Castle. Of large concern were two ticky tack fouls committed by Fox and Castle, and a touch foul on Vassell that gifted Edwards an and-1. Edwards, operating against single coverage, was able to knock down a relatively easy seven points. Spur irritant Reid hit his first three shots to bring Minnesota within five. Castle (14) and Fox (9) figured strongest in helping San Antonio stay safely ahead, but Reid’s 10-point outburst prevented a blowout from occurring.
San Antonio pieced together a 20-0 run to start the second period that resembled the closing flourishes the 2003 titlists did to their opponents than the fireworks that they had eliminated Portland with. Shannon put up a quick five points, and Reid’s and-1 shaved the 29-point deficit to 21. After several minutes of the teams trading baskets, Edwards took the offense into his own hands and the Wolves bit into the Spurs lead. Fox, after helping stabilize San Antonio in the closing minutes, suffered a lower body injury, and the team held onto a 13 point lead.
Fox pleasingly returned to action to start the third, and put up a handful of points. In anticipation of another Wolves run, San Antonio forced two unforced turnovers on Edwards and Reid. Despite the sustained moments of Minnesota scoring throughout the quarter, the Spurs truly anchored themselves on defense to crate the necessary distance with finality. Once the Wolves resorted to surges of 1:1 play, San Antonio ran a lay-up line around and over the bedraggled Wolves.
Observations
- Edwards went down to the Spurs huddle to congratulate the team in its entirety with eight minutes remaining. Okay, I like him.
- The pre-game walkup interview with a player is a nice snippet for halftime of the opening game – Johnson was the guest tonight with Cassidy Hubbarth.
- Stan Van Gundy stated late in the opening half that “Fox has 13 points on perfect shooting.”
- Simmons (on his podcast this morning) listed Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie (21-for-63 from 3 together) as one of his five (he paired them together) players to watch heading into Game 6 – noting that ‘you can beat San Antonio if they miss their threes.’ The pair teamed up for five triples tonight.
- Two memorable second quarter moments – 1) Harper looked down Reid and calmly knocked down a straightaway three, and 2) Castle backed down Conley the full 20 feet from the 3-point line to the box and willed a double-pump banker over the grizzled veteran.
- Champagnie’s three first quarter misses were ‘off,’ ‘oof,’ and ‘woof.’
- I don’t think Terrence Shannon is nearly the great defender he thinks he is. Not every contact on defense has to result in a charge.
- When things don’t go his way, Randle is easily the most clear ‘I just can’t even’ guy in the league.
- My dad would have started singing Dean Martin’s “Let’s Put Out the Lights and Go to Sleep’ at the start of the fourth quarter.
- Sequence of the Game #1: On transition halfway through the opening stanza, Johnson got stood up by Edwards deep in the paint, pumpfaked somewhere between 9-18 times, and then lofted a feather to Wembanyama for a Nerf-lob.
- Sequence of the Game #2: With the first San Antonio possession of the second period looking doomed, Harper found Champagnie as a release valve crosscourt, and then the forward whipped a pass to the rookie for a nifty lay-up.
- Sequence of the Game #3: As part of a 16-0 run to start the second, and after a missed Bryant free throw, he somehow came down with his own carom. The ball pinged around to what the viewers might have thought would end with a Wembanyama triple, but he re-directed the ball patiently to a waiting Vassell at the top for a swish. After Wembanyama deterred an Edwards floater at the other end, Castle rewarded Bryant for his hard work with a beautiful lob to the rookie.
- Sequence of the Game #4: To close out that now 20-0 run in the second, Bryant wrested an offenisve rebound away from a Wolves player, and whipped a dime to Harper on the left baseline for a spinning lay-in.
- Sequence of the Game #5: After McDaniels doinked a third-quarter dunk attempt, Fox had more than enough time at the other end to gauge and knock down a catapult three to make it 102-76.
Game Rundown
Champagnie’s first shot fell very short, but Castle – with Gobert assigned on him – tossed a lob to Wembanyama and followed that with a three from above the break. Fox opened things with a three and a contested lay-up around Dosummu. Unlike Champagnie, Vassell hit his first three attempt. Castle’s second three put the Spurs up ten. The referees – surprise, surprise – missed a left elbow by Randle into Wembanyama’s back, and the Wolves forward drew a foul on Johnson seconds after. Harper made his first lay-up, and Castle’s and-1 put San Antonio up 11. Reid made an instant impact – his eight points caving in the Spurs’ deficit. Castle’s third three stalled out Reid’s personal run. A tip-in by Kornet caused Ian Eagle to declare ‘cleanup on Aisle 7!“ Fox’s two baskets stunned Minnesota enough to get San Antonio to 36-27 after one.
Reid finally missed from distance, which coincided with an brazen Spurs run. Wembanyama received a leakout pass from Fox and Edwards was whistled for a shove on the superstar’s dunk. Wembanyama then converted a lay-up over Edwards from BEHIND THE BACKBOARD to make it 43-27. Castle ripped an offensive rebound over Reid and Dosummu and converted a manly and-1. Bryant looked like a veteran glue guy – particularly on defense and the boards. It took a difficult Shannon and-1 to finally end the Spurs’ 20-0 detonation. Shannon put up a 9-point microburst, and Conley’s second three brought the Wolves within 18. Kornet and Vassell swatted away Shannon’s next two tries. Edwards caught fire late in the frame and Fox appeared to tweak his ankle with 80 seconds left. Champagnie saw four free throws go in, which aided him with a corner three late in the half, and San Antonio led by 13 at halftime.
Fox, visibly hobbled, returned to action and hit a corner three to start the third. McDaniels responded with his first field goal. Wembanyama swatted away a Gobert dunk attempt, and then tossed in a lefty Duncan over his fellow Frenchman to push the lead back out to 18. Fox encouragingly guided home a 16-foot floater. The Spurs’ assertiveness was rewarded with the foul bonus in less than five minutes. Vassell answered McDaniels’ three with one of his own, while Shannon and McDaniels attacked the basket at-will. Castle’s fourth three looked confident, and his fifth three kept the San Antonio at 20. After Gobert missed a 18” hook, Harper glided to the other end and banked in a lay-up. Harper also appeared to rattled Edwards with a cool demeanor and handle. San Antonio went to the fourth up 110-84.
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