After a convincing 3-1 defeat of the Portland Path Blazers in spherical one, the San Antonio Spurs will face a well-recognized foe within the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves are crimson scorching, coming off a 3-2 victory over the Denver Nuggets, regardless of lacking a number of key rotation gamers. The sequence is ready to be a defensive, bodily battle that may take a look at the younger Spurs and provides the Wolves an opportunity to succeed in their third straight Western Convention Finals.
The Timbewolves enter the sequence as underdogs, with a number of gamers on the harm report. Anthony Edwards’ standing is essentially the most attention-grabbing of the sequence as a complete. Edwards has been cleared for on-court alternatives after struggling a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise towards Denver. He’s listed as questionable for Recreation 1. Donte DiVincenzo will miss the sequence after tearing his Achilles tendon in spherical one. Ayo Dosunmu, who dominated the Nuggets within the first spherical, is listed as questionable with calf soreness.
The Spurs come into the sequence with a full invoice of well being, however they struggled towards Minnesota within the common season. The Wolves took the common season sequence between these two groups 2-1. Two of the three video games have been settled by 3 factors or fewer, and the groups by no means performed one another at full power. It’s onerous to take a lot from the common season, apart from the truth that these are two top-ten defenses, with famous person shotmakers in Victor Wembanyama and Edwards.
The Timberwolves are undefeated at residence within the playoffs, which makes home-court benefit essential for the Spurs. Profitable two video games at residence will put them in a superb place to take the sequence. All of it begins with setting the tone in recreation one, with the possibility to make the WCF for the primary time since 2017.
Could 4th, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT
Watch: Peacock | Pay attention: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Accidents: Carter Bryant – Questionable (foot)
Timberwolves Accidents: Donte DiVincenzo – Out (achilles), Ayo Dosunmu – Questionable (calf), Anthony Edwards – Questionable (knee)
If Edwards and Dosunmu sit, the important thing query for Minnesota turns into, the place do they get offense from? Towards Denver, it got here from Jaden McDaniels, who’s rising as a star in these playoffs. McDaniels is averaging 17.8 factors per recreation on 49.4% capturing from the sphere within the playoffs. He’s been a pressure attending to the rim, however is capturing simply 11.1% from deep. The Wolves have additionally gotten strong manufacturing from Naz Reid and Terrance Shannon Jr. with out Edwards.
Denver and San Antonio are two very completely different defensive groups. The Spurs have been glorious at funneling drivers towards Wembanyama, who has dominated across the rim this postseason. Stephon Fortress can have a serious problem in entrance of him in guarding the Wolves’ finest perimeter participant, whether or not it’s Edwards or another person. If San Antonio’s protection can decelerate a surging Minnesota offense assault, they need to be in a superb place for Recreation One.
Portland confirmed the league what the blueprint for guarding the Spurs could possibly be within the postseason. They put an enormous man on Fortress, a wing on Wembanyama, and their finest perimeter defender on De’Aaron Fox. Finally, the Blazers didn’t have the personnel to match up with San Antonio, however the Timberwolves have sufficient expertise to make it attention-grabbing.
Minnesota head coach Chris Finch might elect to place former Defensive Participant of the 12 months Rudy Gobert on Fortress, permitting him to roam the paint as an elite rim protector. Then he might put Julius Randle on Wembanyama. That matchup gave Wembanyama some points within the common season, as Randle might get below him and play bodily protection. Then, McDaniels, the very best perimeter defender, might take the Fox project.Or, Finch might experience the recent hand and simply put Gobert on Wembanyama. The Wolves’ middle performed nice protection on Nikola Jokic in spherical one. That would give Minnesota the boldness to let Gobert deal with Wembanyama, even when San Antonio’s star large man has traditionally dominated that matchup.
San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson has been hesitant to play his three finest guards collectively this season and within the playoffs. Fox, Fortress, and Dylan Harper solely logged 10 minutes collectively in Spherical One, with a impartial net-rating. Within the common season, the trio performed 25 minutes along with a -26.9 internet score. If that doesn’t sound good, it’s as a result of it isn’t. Nonetheless, this lineup might come in useful towards Minnesota.
The Wolves don’t have quite a lot of robust ball-handlers themselves, and could possibly be bothered by the Spurs’ powerful guards on the perimeter. Then, on the opposite finish, the Wolves would want to contest with a number of gamers who can create their very own pictures and open up seems for others. If Fortress and Harper proceed to knock down threes, this can be a lineup that would swing the sequence.
