San Antonio Spurs vs Timberwolves Timeline: Wembanyama and Castle Lead San Antonio Past Minnesota in Six

Searching for the san antonio spurs vs timberwolves timeline usually means piecing together scattered recaps that skip half the story. This series had a one-possession opener, a record blowout, a first-ever ejection for Victor Wembanyama and a 30-point clincher. Below is the full six-game sequence, with scores, quarter splits and player lines, in one place.

You don’t need the whole series to see how it ended. Stephon Castle scored 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as San Antonio beat Minnesota 139-109 on Friday, May 15, 2026, closing out the second-round series in six games. The game was played at Target Center in Minneapolis and aired on Prime Video. Attendance: [add figure from the official box score]. ESPNESPN

Wembanyama was guarded well in that finale and finished with 19 points in 27 minutes, so the guards carried the night. The Spurs won the series 4-2, and Minnesota never had an answer for their depth. ESPN

Match Overview Table

The Full San Antonio Spurs vs Timberwolves Timeline, Game by Game

San Antonio entered the series at 62-20, with Minnesota at 49-33. The gap in the standings showed up in the scoring. ESPN

Core Match Statistics Overview

I could not retrieve complete team shooting splits for every game, so this table uses the one set of numbers I could verify across all six: points.

Blowout Margins

• San Antonio’s four wins came by 38, 7, 29 and 30 points.
• Minnesota’s two wins were decided by 2 and 5.

Close-Game Record

• Both Wolves victories came in games that stayed within one possession of a coin flip until the fourth quarter.
• The Spurs never needed a late rally to win. Their three biggest wins were comfortable by halftime or soon after.

Quarter Scoring Swings

• Minnesota won the fourth quarter in both of its wins, 35-30 in Game 1 and 34-25 in Game 4.
• San Antonio won the second quarter by wide margins in Games 2 and 5, which set up the blowouts.

Period-by-Period Analysis: How the San Antonio Spurs vs Timberwolves Timeline Swung

Game 1: Wolves 104, Spurs 102

• Anthony Edwards came back unexpectedly from injury and scored 18 points. ESPN
• The game was tied 45-45 at halftime, and San Antonio led 72-69 entering the fourth.
• Minnesota outscored the Spurs 35-30 in the final period to steal home-court advantage.

Game 2: Spurs 133, Wolves 95

• The Wolves shot 29.8% before halftime, went 2 for 15 from three and trailed by 25. ESPN
• San Antonio scored 35 in the second quarter alone, for a 59-35 lead at the break.
• It was the worst playoff loss in Minnesota franchise history. ESPN

Game 4: Wolves 114, Spurs 109

• Wembanyama was ejected early in the second quarter after the elbow that struck Naz Reid in the neck. ESPN
• Minnesota led 60-56 at the half, and San Antonio went in front 84-80 after a 28-20 third.
• Edwards scored 16 of his 36 points in the fourth, and Reid added 15 points and nine rebounds. ESPN

Game 5: Spurs 126, Wolves 97

• The Wolves cut an 18-point deficit and tied the game at 61 with 7:26 left in the third. nba
• San Antonio answered by going back to a double-digit lead and won the fourth 35-24.
• The Spurs controlled the paint after the tie, and Minnesota’s offense stalled in the final quarter.

San Antonio Spurs Player Statistics

Victor Wembanyama

At 22, he became the third-youngest player in NBA history to post a 27-17-5-3 line in a playoff game. He also bounced back from the Game 4 ejection with a statement performance. ESPN

Stephon Castle

Castle scored without help from threes in Game 2, living at the free-throw line. In Game 6 he was the best player on the floor.

Dylan Harper

Harper gave San Antonio a steady rookie-year scoring option in the opener. He also made winning plays in Game 4, when he produced a rebound, a drawn foul, a steal and two free throws in one late sequence. ESPN

Minnesota Timberwolves Player Statistics

Anthony Edwards

His minutes were managed all series. When he was fully engaged, as in Game 4, the Wolves looked like a different team.

Julius Randle

Randle was Minnesota’s best scorer early, but he needed a lot of shots to get there. His efficiency dipped when the Spurs loaded up on him in Game 2.

Naz Reid

Reid was the Wolves’ best frontcourt performer in their Game 4 win, and he finished strong after the elbow.

Statistical Leaders Summary Table

I only had verified single-game numbers, so this table shows each team’s best verified mark in the series.

Why the Spurs Won

Fast Starts and Big Second Quarters

When San Antonio led at the break, it won every time by double digits.

Guard Scoring Beyond Wembanyama

Castle scored 32 in the clincher and 21 in Game 2, and Harper added 18 in the opener. San Antonio never had to rely on one scorer.

Wembanyama’s Response to the Ejection

He returned for Game 5 with 27 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. He said afterward that starting fast sets the tone, and that the challenge is doing it for 48 minutes. The Spurs did exactly that. ESPN

Why the Timberwolves Lost

Shooting Collapse in the Blowouts

Game 2’s 29.8% first-half shooting and 2-for-15 three-point line were the opposite of a playoff-ready offense. The Wolves didn’t recover in Games 5 or 6 either, losing by 29 and 30.

A Limited Edwards

Minnesota’s best player returned from a knee injury and played restricted minutes, often off the bench. That limited how much the Wolves could do in the early games of the series. After Game 6, Edwards said San Antonio was simply the better team. ESPN

Historical Context and Advanced Insights

The regular season gave an early preview of this san antonio spurs vs timberwolves timeline, and it nearly went the other way.

Advanced Insights. The point differential tells the story better than the series record. San Antonio outscored Minnesota 724-627, a +97 gap. In the Spurs’ four wins they averaged 128.3 points, and in their two losses they averaged 105.5. Minnesota averaged 109 in its wins but only 102.3 in its four losses. The Wolves’ margin for error was thin, while the Spurs’ offense had enough ceiling to run away from them.

Game Implications and Key Lessons

What This Means for the Spurs

• A conference finals berth against a deep field validates their 62-win regular season.
• Wembanyama showed he can respond to adversity inside a series.
• Castle and Harper proved the backcourt can carry the scoring load.

What This Means for the Timberwolves

• They need a healthy, rested Edwards before the postseason, not during it.
• Their offense can’t depend on perimeter variance. The 2-for-15 first half in Game 2 was the clearest example.
• They need frontcourt depth to survive when Gobert or Reid is neutralized.

Key Lessons

• Halftime leads decided this series.
• Second quarters were the swing period in Games 2 and 5.
• Star power matters, but support scoring decided the games that mattered most.
• Foul trouble and ejections can shift a game, but a deep roster can absorb them.
• Home-court advantage is worth less than a strong closing stretch.
• Injury timing can decide a series before it starts.

Final Word

The san antonio spurs vs timberwolves timeline came down to depth and consistency. Minnesota won two tight games behind Edwards, while San Antonio’s balanced offense and Wembanyama’s bounce-back produced four lopsided wins. Teamwork beat individual brilliance across six games.