Spurs vs. Timberwolves player grades: Stephon Castle shines in series clencher

The San Antonio Spurs are 2-0 in elimination games this postseason. The Silver and Black smacked the Minnesota Timberwolves 139-109 in Game 6 to secure a spot in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2017. In a series that felt incredibly close through all six games, the Spurs won three games by 29 points or more. Now they’ll get a chance to play the Oklahoma City Thunder with an NBA Finals appearance on the line.

The Spurs got a full-team effort in the victory. All but one player who logged a minute got a bucket, and six players scored double digits. They were led by Stephon Castle, who had his best game of the playoffs so far. They’ll need similar performances in the next round, where they will be underdogs for the first time this postseason. The Thunder are -260 favorites to win the Western Conference on FanDuel.

Since the Spurs won an elimination game, these player grades will be on a curve. As a quick reminder, player grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.

Victor Wembanyama

27 minutes, 19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, 4 turnovers, 3 fouls, 6-for-11 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, +25

Wembanyama didn’t need to carry the weight offensively thanks to the all-around performance of his teammates. Still, he was super efficient, mainly taking shots inside the paint, scoring over the top of the Wolves on lobs or put-backs. He had a good whistle on Friday, as he got to the line 9 times, converting 7 free throws.

Defensively, it was the same story as it has been all series. He took away a lot of looks in the paint, and almost every floater or mid-range jumper outside of it. Minnesota never found any answers for Wemby in this series, and that’s a big part of why the Spurs won it.

Grade: A

De’Aaron Fox

24 minutes, 21 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 8-for-10 shooting, 3-for-3 threes, +26

This was Fox’s best game of the series. He was in total control from tip-off. He got to his spots with ease and scored at will in the paint. His three-point jumper was finally working. Maybe it was because he was left wide open by the Wolves on most of his three attempts. Got to his spots and hit shots. He continued to be a strong point defensively, funneling Minnesota’s ball-handlers into Wembanyama. This is two straight elimination games where Fox has played well, which is a good sign for San Antonio’s next series.

Grade: A

Stephon Castle

30 minutes, 32 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 11-for-16 shooting, 5-for-7 threes, +28

This might have been the best game of Castle’s playoff career. He set the tone early, scoring 14 first-quarter points. The Wolves came out guarding Castle with Gobert in an effort to get him roaming for blocks on defense. It did not work. Castle still got into the paint when he wanted, and he made Gobert pay for sagging off of him, making 5-for-7 of his three-pointers.

Castle has kind of been the enforcer for the Spurs throughout the playoffs. It’s fitting that he closed it out by enforcing his will on the Wolves.

Grade: A+

Julian Champagnie

26 minutes, 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3 fouls, 5-for-10 shooting, 4-for-9 threes, +35

Champagnie was an eye-popping +35 in this game. His defense off the ball was fantastic, as he got into the passing lanes for steals. He hit devastating shots from three (including one right in front of Alex Rodriguez) and got to the rim for a sweet finish in traffic. Champagnie has been doing exactly what contenders need from their role players – hit shots and defend well.

Grade: A

Devin Vassell

27 minutes, 11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 4-for-10 shooting, 3-for-7 threes, +14

Vassell hit timely shots as the Spurs were making their large runs in the second and third quarters. It’s great to see some of his threes start to fall after going so cold from deep for most of the playoffs. He should be commended for his efforts guarding Anthony Edwards in this series. That was a very difficult matchup, and he rose to the test. It bodes well for the Spurs, who will likely need him to spend some time guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the WCF.

Grade: B

Dylan Harper

26 minutes, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 6-for-8 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, +16

Harper continues to thrive as a defender. He’s so strong and athletic, and his motor is much higher than a lot of guards his age. Guarding at the point of attack and grabbing contested rebounds were some of the most impactful things he did in this series. On the other end, he is developing into one of the league’s most promising young scorers. He can just finish in the rim in a variety of ways – through contact, over the top of shot blockers, or putting English on the ball to get it around the defense. Harper was fantastic on Friday and is going to be a very special player moving forward.

Grade: A–

Keldon Johnson

10 minutes, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 0-for-2 shooting, -8

It wasn’t Johnson’s best night. He was benched after some poor on- and off-ball defense in the second quarter. Teams with athleticism and length are a tough matchup for him. We’ll see if he can turn things around against OKC.

Grade: C

Luke Kornet

14 minutes, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 blocks, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 2-for-3 shooting, +8

Kornet was excellent at protecting the rim on Friday. He was in the right places positionally and got his hands on enough balls to stop the Wolves from scoring at the basket. He becomes a very important player for the WCF. The Thunder have big, physical centers like Isaiah Hartenstein, who Kornet will need to contend with inside.

Grade: B+

Harrison Barnes

7 minutes, 3 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1-for-3 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, +7

Barnes played some fun minutes in the fourth quarter. He knocked down a corner 3 and was active on the glass. He’s largely been out of the rotation in the playoffs. We’ll see if he has a role in the next round against OKC.

Grade: B

Carter Bryant

13 minutes, 3 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1-for-3 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, +16

Bryant’s energy was incredible off the bench. He was a big part of the second-quarter run that built a big lead. His defensive effort on Edwards was great. He’s so physical, fast, and long that he can really pester opposing guards. He still needs to work on being better positionally, and he can overplay on the ball, but the effort and athleticism make up for those mistakes. He’s going to be a quality player when he puts it all together.

Grade: B+