By Jared Weiss, Jon Krawczynski and John Hollinger | The Athletic, 2026-05-16 04:25:03
周五，圣安东尼奥马刺 (San Antonio Spurs) 在系列赛第六场以 139-109 完胜明尼苏达森林狼 (Minnesota Timberwolves)，成功挺进西部决赛。
这场胜利让马刺获得了挑战卫冕冠军俄克拉荷马城雷霆 (Oklahoma City Thunder) 的机会，同时也终结了森林狼连续第三年闯入西决的梦想。
这是马刺自 2017 年以来首次重返西决。
森林狼在比赛中从未领先，眼睁睁看着马刺的领先优势一度扩大到 37 分。马刺在周二的第五场比赛中赢了 29 分，而在第二场更是狂胜 38 分。
马刺二年级后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 砍下 32 分，距离他职业生涯季后赛最高分（在首轮对阵波特兰开拓者 (Portland Trail Blazers) 的第三场中创下）仅差 1 分。他在三分线外 7 投 5 中，并抢下了 11 个篮板。
德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 10 投 8 中高效贡献 21 分并送出 9 次助攻，维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 为马刺拿下 19 分。安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 26 投 9 中，得到森林狼最高的 24 分。替补出场的小泰伦斯·香农 (Terrence Shannon Jr.) 得到 21 分。
以下是第六场比赛的关键总结：
马刺篮球哲学尽显无遗
马刺以一种最理想的方式结束了这轮系列赛。他们的后卫群让森林狼头疼不已，而文班亚马在防守端展现出的统治力则是明尼苏达无法逾越的屏障。
这正是马刺篮球哲学的巅峰体现——用速度和出色的篮下终结能力击溃对手。
卡斯尔成为了马刺队史首位在季后赛中单场至少得到 30 分、8 篮板、5 助攻并投进 5 记三分球的球员。卡斯尔和迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 这对“冲击兄弟”在导师福克斯的带领下，表现近乎完美。对于福克斯来说，这是系列赛一个至关重要的收尾，他在进攻端势不可挡，为自己此前略显挣扎的系列赛画上了圆满句号。
在对阵雷霆的比赛中，马刺将非常需要他的得分能力。雷霆拥有全联盟最难缠的防守，他们会将马刺的年轻球员逼向极限。福克斯在第六场撕碎森林狼防线时展现出的冷静和老辣至关重要，马刺若想跨越雷霆，必须依靠他发挥出最佳水平。
马刺通过这轮系列赛证明了他们的建队思路是行之有效的。面对将每个人的心理和生理都逼向极限的强悍防守，这支球队总能找到可以利用的对位优势，或者通过持球人梳理出进攻流，亦或是利用文班的牵制力拉开空间。马刺在防守端也表现得相当稳健，即使森林狼在进攻端出奇招，马刺也能有效地将对手引入文班亚马的防守陷阱中。
马刺总能给出回应，在第四场表现得像个“凡人”之后，他们迅速发力关上了悬念的大门。到目前为止，他们已经竭尽所能证明自己配得上总冠军奖杯。现在，他们必须直面王座上的守卫者，去验证眼前的繁荣是否真的是登顶的真理。 — 贾里德·韦斯 (Jared Weiss)，马刺随队记者
关键时刻，福克斯挺身而出
至少在这一天，球队的愿景得到了最完美的呈现。
作为顶薪球员，福克斯在马刺统治级终结森林狼的比赛中证明了自己身价的每一分钱。前三节结束时，第六场的胜负悬念其实已经消失，而这段时间里的福克斯充满活力且极具效率。他全场 10 投 8 中得到 21 分，送出 9 次助攻仅有 1 次失误，正负值达到全场最高的 +26。
福克斯三分球 3 投全中，防守端顶住了森林狼身材更高大的侧翼球员，并在上半场末段克服右腿伤势，带领马刺在第三节打出一波流锁定胜局。三节战罢，圣安东尼奥在短短 36 分钟内就轰下了 110 分，大步迈向自 2017 年以来的首次分区决赛。
对福克斯来说，事情并非总是如此顺遂。他在今年季后赛的表现起伏不定，一度让马刺球迷怀疑哈珀是否才是场上更合适的选择。此外，由于福克斯那份为期四年、价值 2.22 亿美元的续约合同将在下赛季生效，无论哈珀表现如何，外界对福克斯的期待值都极高。而在这个周五，福克斯轻松跨过了这道高门槛。 — 约翰·霍林格 (John Hollinger)，NBA 高级撰稿人
森林狼再次遗憾收场
这已经是森林狼连续第三个赛季眼睁睁看着一段令人印象深刻的季后赛征程以惨淡的方式收场。
他们在上半场一度落后多达 29 分，仅在第二节打出一波小高潮将分差缩小到 12 分时展现出了一丝生机，但此后便再也无法更进一步。
这种糟糕的趋势仍在延续。2024 年西决第五场，明尼苏达输给达拉斯独行侠 (Dallas Mavericks) 21 分，那场比赛在首节结束后就失去了悬念。而上个赛季，森林狼在俄克拉荷马城的第五场比赛中惨败 30 分。
一旦他们泄了气，就真的彻底崩盘了。
对于这支阵容不整的森林狼来说，这段令人振奋的征程以失望告终。他们在首轮击败了丹佛掘金 (Denver Nuggets)，即便当时他们失去了因跟腱受伤缺阵的丹特·迪温琴佐 (Donte DiVincenzo) 以及膝盖受伤的爱德华兹。在缺少阿约·多苏穆 (Ayo Dosunmu) 的情况下，他们甚至还拿下了在圣安东尼奥的第一场比赛。
但随着爱德华兹膝盖伤势加重，加上内线群表现极其拉胯，森林狼在周五的比赛中毫无还手之力。杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels)、朱利叶斯·兰德尔 (Julius Randle) 和鲁迪·戈贝尔 (Rudy Gobert) 合计 25 投仅 5 中，总共得到 16 分。这是这三名球员本赛季表现最差的一场，而且发生在最糟糕的时刻。兰德尔 8 投 1 中仅得 3 分，戈贝尔更是一分未得，仅抢下 3 个篮板。
这将引发外界对这套内线组合可行性的质疑。随着森林狼进入休赛期，他们需要进行重大调整，才能在西部与马刺和雷霆抗衡。
森林狼目前的实力还无法与这些球队相提并论。现在，压力来到了篮球运营总裁蒂姆·康纳利 (Tim Connelly) 身上，他必须找到如何围绕爱德华兹建队的答案。 — 乔恩·克劳钦斯基 (Jon Krawczynski)，森林狼随队记者
由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：Spurs dominate Wolves in Game 6, will face Thunder next in Western Conference finals
Spurs dominate Wolves in Game 6, will face Thunder next in Western Conference finals
The San Antonio Spurs outclassed the Minnesota Timberwolves 139-109 in a Game 6 win Friday, securing a spot in the Western Conference finals.
The win propelled the Spurs to a matchup against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. It also denied the Timberwolves a third consecutive appearance in the West finals.
San Antonio is in the West finals for the first time since 2017.
The Timberwolves never led and watched the Spurs’ lead reach 37 points. The Spurs won Game 5 on Tuesday by 29 points and Game 2 by 38.
Second-year Spurs guard Stephon Castle scored 32 points, one point off his career playoff high (set in Game 3 of the first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers), and was 5-of-7 on 3-pointers. Castle also had 11 rebounds.
De’Aaron Fox added 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting and recorded nine assists, and Victor Wembanyama scored 19 points for the Spurs. Anthony Edwards (9-of-26) led the Timberwolves with 24 points. Terrence Shannon Jr. had 21 points off the bench.
Here are key takeaways from Game 6:
Spurs’ basketball identity on full display
The Spurs’ series ended the way it needed to. Their guards tormented the Wolves, and Wembanyama was a defensive force Minnesota could not overcome.
This was the Spurs’ identity at its absolute best, overwhelming the opponent with speed and touch at the rim.
Castle became the first Spurs player with at least 30 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five 3-pointers in a playoff game. It was borderline perfection from the “Slash Brothers,” Castle and Dylan Harper, with their mentor, Fox. This was a crucial coda to the series for Fox, who was unstoppable offensively to finish a mostly rough series for him.
His scoring will be sorely needed against the Thunder, who have the trickiest defense in the league and will push the Spurs’ young guys to their limits. His composure and savvy were instrumental in carving up the Wolves defense in Game 6, and the Spurs will need his best to get past the Thunder.
The Spurs proved in this series that their approach works. Against a ravaging defense that pushed everyone to their emotional and physical limits, the team always found a matchup to exploit or a ballhandler to develop some flow, or it used Wemby’s gravity to open things up. The Spurs guarded their yard fairly well and funneled things into Wembanyama effectively, even when the Wolves got creative.
The Spurs always had answers and slammed the door hard once they looked human after Game 4. They’ve done whatever they can to this point to prove they are worthy of being NBA champions. Now they have to go through the throne-sitters to find out if what appears to be real is in fact the truth. — Jared Weiss, Spurs writer
Fox delivers when Spurs need it most
For one day, at least, the vision couldn’t possibly have worked better.
Fox, a max-contract guy, was worth every cent as the Spurs closed out Minnesota in dominant fashion. Through three quarters — at which point the competitive part of Game 6 was over — Fox was dynamic and efficient. He finished with 21 points on 10 shots, had nine assists against one turnover and was a game-high plus-26.
Fox made all three of his 3-pointers, stood his ground against bigger Minnesota wings on defense and shook off an injury to his right leg late in the first half to lead a series-clinching Spurs surge in the third quarter. When it was done, San Antonio had amassed 110 points in just 36 minutes and was well on its way to its first conference finals appearance since 2017.
It hasn’t always been that easy for Fox, who has been up and down this postseason and has, at times, had Spurs fans wondering whether Harper was the better on-court fit. Also, with a four-year, $222 million extension for Fox due to kick in next season, the expectations bar is high regardless of what Harper does. Friday, Fox cleared it with miles to spare. — John Hollinger, NBA senior writer
Wolves with another disappointing finish
This is the third straight season the Timberwolves have seen an impressive run in the playoffs end with a whimper.
They were down by as many as 29 points in the first half, only showing a heartbeat during a little run in the second quarter that trimmed the deficit to 12, but they never got any closer.
It continues an ugly trend. Minnesota lost Game 5 of the 2024 Western Conference finals to the Dallas Mavericks by 21 points in a game that was over after the first quarter. Last season, the Wolves lost Game 5 in Oklahoma City by 30 points.
When they let go of the rope, they really let go of it.
It was a disappointing end to an inspiring run for the short-handed Wolves. They beat the Denver Nuggets in the first round, even after losing Donte DiVincenzo to an Achilles injury and Anthony Edwards to a knee injury. They took Game 1 in San Antonio without Ayo Dosunmu.
But with Edwards’ knees aching and his frontcourt failing him miserably, the Wolves were never in Friday’s game. Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert combined to go 5-of-25 from the field for 16 points. It was the worst game the trio has played all season collectively, and it came at the worst possible time. Randle missed 7 of 8 shots and scored just 3 points. Gobert went scoreless and had only three rebounds.
It will raise questions about the viability of that frontcourt as the Wolves go into the summer needing a serious change to compete with San Antonio and Oklahoma City in the West.
The Wolves do not measure up to these teams. Now, the pressure will be on president of basketball operations Tim Connelly to find some answers around Edwards. — Jon Krawczynski, Wolves writer
By Jared Weiss, Jon Krawczynski and John Hollinger, via The Athletic