Victor Wembanyama is one win from the Western Conference Finals, and the market is treating Game 6 like a Spurs home game. San Antonio dropped Minnesota 126-97 in Game 5 behind Wemby's 27 and 17, and now they get a chance to close it out at Target Center before a possible Game 7 back home on Sunday.
Game 5 was the response game. Wembanyama got tossed in Game 4 after a Flagrant 2 on Naz Reid's neck, the Wolves stole that one 114-109, and the series was tied. Then Wemby came back and put up a stat line only Magic Johnson and Luka Doncic had ever matched in the playoffs at 25/15/5. Hard to script a cleaner bounce-back.
Anthony Edwards is averaging 23.6 in the series and Minnesota still has not really cracked the Spurs' defense for a full 48 minutes outside of Game 4. Donte DiVincenzo's been gone since Game 4 of the first round with a ruptured Achilles, which has quietly hollowed out the Wolves bench shooting in a way you feel in spots like this.
- OutDavid Jones Garcia F — Jones Garcia underwent ankle surgery Wednesday and will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News reports.
- OutDonte DiVincenzo G — DiVincenzo will undergo surgery Sunday to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon that he suffered during the Timberwolves Game 4 win over the Nuggets on Saturday.
Minnesota's last 5 reads 1-1-1-1-1 alternating, and the Spurs have rotated three wins and two losses in the same stretch — which is to say neither team has strung anything together. Closeout games at home are usually where desperation buys you a quarter or two, and the Wolves are going to need to win possessions and not just steal them.
Number to watch: 218.5. Both Game 4 and Game 5 cleared that comfortably, but Game 3 stayed in the low 200s. If Minnesota tries to slow this into a halfcourt grind to neutralize Wemby's transition damage, the under has a real path. If Edwards has to chase points to keep the season alive, the over takes care of itself.