Spurs oust Wolves in Game 6 blowout, get OKC in West finals

MINNEAPOLIS — The San Antonio Spurs‘backcourt trio of Stephen Castle, De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper proved each bit as deadly Friday as franchise famous person Victor Wembanyama in spearheading a series-clinching 139-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Castle had a game-high 32 factors and added 11 rebounds and 6 assists, serving to the trio account for almost half of the scoring for the Spurs, who completed with the third-most factors in a playoff sport in franchise historical past. Fox scored 21 factors on 8-of-10 capturing, and Harper added 15 factors on 6-of-8 capturing.

San Antonio heads to the Western Conference finals, the place it can face Oklahoma City on Monday in Game 1 at Paycom Center.

“What we’re walking into on Monday is a different animal,” Harper mentioned. “The experience is great for all of us. But we’ve just got to have the mindset of we’re going to keep the foot on the gas no matter what.”

That was the usual set by the trio in Game 6. By the tip of the third quarter, Castle, Fox and Harper mixed for 58.2% of the workforce’s scoring, capturing 23-of-30 from the sphere and 9-of-12 from 3-point vary to associate with 15 assists. The group mixed for 9 of San Antonio’s postseason-record 18 3-pointers for the sport.

“I think it could be anybody’s night on a given night,” Castle mentioned.

The Spurs’ backcourt trio poses a dilemma for groups hyperfocused on neutralizing Wembanyama, who completed with 19 factors, six rebounds and three blocks. He joined former Spurs star David Robinson as the one gamers to have at the least 200 factors, 100 rebounds and 40 blocks by his first 10 profession postseason video games since 1974, when blocks have been first tracked.

Wembanyama raved in regards to the composure of Castle, whose 5 3-pointers have been a profession excessive for the common season and playoffs.

“The way this team is built, they were trying to take me away from the rim and just grab me,” Wembanyama mentioned. “There’s no other way to fight that than just fight it with physicality. [Castle] it was amazing. Just the composure to make the late choice and to push the defense in as far as they can go to take care of our strengths, he was great. “He shot the ball when he ought to have, made the pictures and handed when he ought to’ve handed it.”

Castle became the fifth Spurs player in history to have at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a clinching opportunity, joining Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, Robinson and George Gervin. Fox, meanwhile, became the first Spurs player since

San Antonio opened with Castle and Fox scoring or assisting on 28 of the club’s 36 points in a sizzling first quarter. They shot a combined 7-of-8 on contested attempts in the first half, as the Spurs hit 18 of 30 over that span whenever Wembanyama didn’t get a touch. Castle racked up 19 points in the first quarter on 7-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-3 from distance.

“He was fairly damned good,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of Castle. “His temperament and disposition led to him having the proper method and taking part in the proper manner. When they’ve the proper method and taking part in with the basics wanted at this stage to execute, their expertise can take it to a different stage. He had a number of moments the place he did that. De’Aaron was fairly good too.”

Fox, 28, the veteran of San Antonio’s backcourt trio, said he doesn’t take lightly the opportunity to mentor Castle and Harper.

San Antonio advanced to the conference finals for the first time since 2017 and 15th time overall, the third most since 1970-71, when the conference was formed.

“Having guys who’re this proficient and have watched me all through my profession, then we get to be in the identical locker room, get to be on the courtroom collectively, it is one thing that I like,” Fox said. “I need them to really feel that success from as early as you’ll be able to get it in your profession since you by no means know when these issues can come again round.

“[I] just give them little tidbits that they can get here or there because they’re just so talented. Just giving them a cheat sheet to kind of maneuver throughout the league. I try to add what I can to what they can already do. They can already do a lot of things.”