San Antonio Just Survived Minnesota's Upset Bid and Nobody Saw Game 1 Coming This Close

The San Antonio Spurs scraped past the Minnesota Timberwolves 84-81 in West Semifinals Game 1, and if you blinked during the final stretch, you missed one of the tightest playoff openers of the season. The Spurs came in as the heavy favorites with a 62-20 regular season record, but Minnesota's 49-33 squad made them work for every single possession down the wire.

Spurs Hold On in a Grind

This wasn't pretty basketball, and it sure wasn't comfortable. The Timberwolves clawed their way back into this thing despite trailing for most of the game, and with 8:22 left in the fourth quarter, the Spurs were only up three points at 84-81. That's when Harrison Barnes made a crucial running layup off a Stephon Castle assist to seal the win. Castle finished with 15 points and 5 assists while keeping his turnovers at zero across 26 minutes. The kid was ice cold when San Antonio needed him most.

Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs' star, had an off night by his standards, dropping just 8 points on 4-for-13 shooting, but he pulled down 11 rebounds and dished out 5 assists. Sometimes in the playoffs, not everyone has their night and you still find a way. That's championship basketball.

Minnesota's Depth Nearly Stole One

The Timberwolves came firing from all angles. Julius Randle grabbed 10 rebounds with a 5-for-15 shooting night, but Jalen McDaniels was the offensive engine with 16 points on efficient 7-for-13 shooting. Anthony Edwards chipped in 14 points on 6-for-10 from the field, and Mike Conley ran the offense like a floor general, dishing 5 assists while committing zero turnovers across 21 minutes.

Minnesota shot 43 percent from the field but only 33 percent from three. That lack of spacing in the backcourt might haunt them if the Spurs' defense tightens up. The Timberwolves had 10 turnovers to San Antonio's 12, so neither team was particularly clean with the basketball.

What's Next

Game 2 tips off Wednesday, May 6 at 6:30 PM back at San Antonio. The Spurs have home court advantage through the series, and after surviving this scare, they'll want to put some distance between themselves and Minnesota early. The Timberwolves? They proved they can compete. Expect adjustments and a hungrier Minnesota squad coming into Game 2.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.