The San Antonio Spurs secured a decisive road victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves, earning their spot in a highly anticipated Western Conference Finals showdown against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons demonstrated remarkable resilience, forcing a Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a record-setting playoff performance.
Minnesota Timberwolves (W6) — San Antonio Spurs (W2) 109:139 — Series: 2-4
The San Antonio Spurs, led by a stellar backcourt performance, have advanced to the Western Conference Finals to face the champion Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder have cruised through the postseason thus far with two dominant sweeps.
Stephon Castle was the leading scorer for the Spurs with 32 points, supported by De’Aaron Fox’s 21 points. While Victor Wembanyama had a quieter offensive night with 19 points, he was a defensive force, making life difficult for the Timberwolves on their home court. Dylan Harper contributed an efficient 15 points off the bench.
The key difference in the game was the exceptional shooting from the Spurs’ guards. Castle was lights out from three-point range, hitting his first 5 attempts, and finished with 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Fox was equally impressive, shooting 8-of-10 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, adding 9 assists. Justin Champagnie also added four three-pointers for the Spurs. San Antonio outrebounded Minnesota significantly, with 60 rebounds to the Timberwolves’ 29, creating numerous fast-break opportunities.
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 26 points. Despite eliminating the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic in the first round, Minnesota struggled to find offensive rhythm outside of Edwards. Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 21 points and Naz Reed added 18 off the bench.
The Timberwolves never held a lead in the game, while the Spurs at one point extended their advantage to 37 points. A 20-0 run early in the second quarter by San Antonio effectively sealed the victory.
Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals is scheduled for early Tuesday morning in Oklahoma City.
Cleveland Cavaliers (E4) — Detroit Pistons (E1) 94:115 — Series: 3:3
The Detroit Pistons have once again proven their playoff mettle, fending off elimination for the fourth time and forcing a decisive Game 7. Their 21-point victory marked the largest road win in NBA Playoffs history when facing a 2-3 series deficit, a feat last achieved by the St. Louis Hawks against the Minneapolis Lakers in 1960.
“We did what we had to do,” said Detroit Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “When we’re at our best, it’s our defense and physicality that carry us.”
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 21 points and 8 assists, though he also committed 7 turnovers. He received strong offensive support from Paul Reed, who scored 17 points in just 16 minutes off the bench, and Daniss Jenkins, who also contributed 15 points. Jalen Duren, who had faced criticism, added 15 points, 11 rebounds (4 offensive), 3 blocks, and no turnovers. Tobias Harris, who had been a key contributor, had a subdued game with 6 points.
“That was a total team effort and we needed every bit of it. Great win!” said Cunningham, who also hit 5 three-pointers.
After a closely contested first half, the Pistons began to pull away after halftime. Despite a brief Cavs rally in the third quarter that cut the deficit to 68-74, Detroit responded with a 13-2 run to lead 87-70 entering the final quarter. Cleveland could not get closer than 11 points for the remainder of the game.
Turnovers proved to be the critical factor, as Detroit capitalized on Cleveland’s 20 turnovers for 28 points. The Pistons also converted 13 offensive rebounds into 20 points.
For the Cavaliers, James Harden scored 23 points, while Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley each had 18. This was Cleveland’s first home loss of the postseason.
“We never really got into second gear,” said Harden. “We were never able to get into third and fourth gear. We never had the right flow at either end of the floor. That’s frustrating.”
Mitchell added self-critically, “It starts with us, the starters. We got punched in the mouth, but we never really punched back.”
Dennis Schröder played 15 minutes for the Cavaliers but did not score, missing all 4 of his field-goal attempts.
Game 7 will take place early Monday morning in Detroit. The winner will advance to face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, who swept the Philadelphia 76ers.
NBA Playoffs 2026: Second Round Series
| Conference | Matchup | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Western | Thunder (1) — Lakers (4) | 4-0 |
| Western | Spurs (2) — Timberwolves (6) | 4-2 |
| Eastern | Pistons (1) — Cavaliers (4) | 3-3 |
| Eastern | Knicks (3) — Sixers (7) | 4-0 |