The San Antonio Spurs are in the Western Conference Finals.
Stephon Castle scored 32 points on 11-of-16 from the field, including 5-of-7 from behind the arc, as San Antonio blew out Minnesota 139-109 in Game 6 on Thursday night to close out the Western Conference Semifinals 4-2.
Castle added 11 rebounds and 6 assists. It was a complete performance from a player who has been the series’ standout performer. The kind of night that turns a prospect into a known quantity.
The margin tells the story. San Antonio never trailed and led by as many as 34 points at their peak. Minnesota had no answer.
The Spurs face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, with Game 1 scheduled for Monday 18 May on NBC and Peacock. Oklahoma City enter as the top seed in the Western Conference.
Castle’s emergence gives the Spurs something they did not necessarily have at the start of the season: a second option alongside Victor Wembanyama who can take over a game. Against Minnesota, he was the dominant force. The Timberwolves could not solve him.
San Antonio are two rounds from the NBA Finals. Whether they are a serious threat to the Thunder in the WCF is a different question. Oklahoma City are the one-seed for a reason. But the Spurs have earned the right to find out.
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