Spurs seize 13-point halftime lead, push Timberwolves toward elimination

The Spurs carried a 13-point halftime lead into the most fragile stretch of Minnesota’s season, putting the Timberwolves one half away from elimination in Game 6 at Target Center. San Antonio entered Friday night with a 3-2 series lead and the momentum of a 126-97 rout in Game 5 at Frost Bank Center, where Victor Wembanyama delivered 27 points and 17 rebounds.

This series has swung on how well Minnesota can survive San Antonio’s length, speed and shot-making. The Spurs set the tone early in Game 2 with a 133-95 blowout, the Timberwolves’ worst postseason loss in franchise history, shooting 50% from the field and 41% from three. In that game, San Antonio’s first 11 points came from Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, a snapshot of the pressure Minnesota has faced when the Spurs are dictating tempo and getting clean looks before the defense can load up.

Minnesota briefly answered in Game 4, winning 114-109 after Wembanyama was ejected in the second quarter for throwing an elbow to the neck of Naz Reid. Anthony Edwards carried that comeback with 36 points, but the Timberwolves have not been able to build on it. The setback in Game 5 restored San Antonio’s control, and the Spurs were ahead again before halftime in Minneapolis as the series tightened around Minnesota’s inability to generate consistent offense against San Antonio’s size.

That has turned the spotlight onto the Timberwolves’ supporting cast around Edwards, especially Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert. Minnesota has repeatedly stalled in halfcourt possessions when the Spurs have crowded Edwards, closed the lane and forced the ball into less productive hands. To extend the series, the Timberwolves needed cleaner entry passes, more assertive interior play from Gobert, and better shot creation from Randle so Edwards was not forced to carry every possession.

The broader West picture only sharpened the stakes. The Thunder had already swept the Lakers, leaving Spurs-Timberwolves as one of the few unresolved conference semifinal series. NBA.com listed Game 7, if necessary, for Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBC, but San Antonio’s halftime edge in Game 6 left Minnesota needing a major answer before that becomes relevant.