What to – Minnesota heads into Game 6 with plenty of reason for optimism, but the series is tilting on three specific questions: whether the Wolves can stop digging themselves into early holes, how Victor Wembanyama’s impact continues to shape San Antonio’s plans, and w
When Minnesota walks into Game 6 against San Antonio, it will do so with a familiar kind of pressure—one that doesn’t just sit on the scoreboard, but on the opening minutes.
The Spurs took Game 5 126-97 to take a 3-2 lead. and the pattern in that loss was brutally consistent: Minnesota has trailed in the first quarters by seven. seven. 15. six and 15 points.. The games it lost after those shaky starts weren’t random. either—there have been admissions from inside the Wolves’ locker room that they strayed from their plan. slipped into habits. and looked like they were reacting instead of dictating.
If Minnesota is going to change what happens next on Friday (9:30 ET, Prime Video), Game 6 may come down to how quickly they stop playing catch-up—and how they keep Wembanyama from turning every mistake into a stress test for the entire defense.
San Antonio, for its part, has a clear incentive to close this out now.. Avoiding a Game 7 reduces injury exposure and preserves a couple of days’ worth of rest—though there’s an additional strategic benefit: if the series ends Friday. the West Finals would start Monday. while a Game 7 would give the winners a full week off before the Wednesday opener against Oklahoma City. which swept the Lakers.
That makes the stakes bigger than one game. Here are three things the Wolves and Spurs will be fighting for in Game 6.
First, Minnesota has to stop falling behind early
Game 5 was supposed to be a reset moment. Instead, Minnesota was hit immediately—again—by the same early-deficit story that has followed the Wolves across the series. Five games in, there is no longer room for a “feeling-out” stretch to become a habit.
The Wolves’ own acknowledgement of the problem points to one straightforward fix: tighter adherence to what coach Chris Finch and his staff have set out. The other option, at least for the opening look, would be to tinker with the lineup.
Naz Reid. a versatile big who can play anywhere in the frontcourt. could be used as a starting adjustment to alter how the first minutes unfold.. On the other end. both Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle are candidates for a change—Gobert has been somewhat nullified as a defender by Wembanyama’s mobility. and Randle has been struggling offensively.
In the backcourt, Ayo Dosunmu or Terrence Shannon Jr. could be options for bonus scoring, while Bones Hyland could be another pivot point if the Wolves decide they need a quick burst rather than a slow-building start.
Second, Wembanyama’s workload still dictates everything
If Minnesota needs a reminder that the Spurs’ ceiling runs through one person, San Antonio has already provided it—just not always in the ways that show up cleanly on the stat line.
Victor Wembanyama, 7-foot-4 and 22 years old, is already the third-youngest player in NBA history to record 25+ points, 15+ rebounds and 5+ assists in a playoff game.
The Spurs are 7-3 in these playoffs. and their losses trace directly back to Wembanyama being absent or limited: Game 2 of the first round versus Portland. when he was out for concussion protocol; the series opener against Minnesota. when he went 0-for-8 from three as he adapted to physical challenges with a new team; and Game 4. when an angry right elbow shut him down in less than 13 minutes.
Before Game 5’s bounce-back, there was even a reported jolt of motivation—Popovich meeting the team’s charter flight from Minnesota on the tarmac and talking with Wembanyama, who was 22.
Afterward, the Wolves showed they understand what they’re up against. Edwards put it bluntly after Game 5: “Some of the stuff that Wemby was doing, you don’t really have too much of an answer for it. Just kinda hope he misses.”
Finch’s warning was more defensive and specific: “Wembanyama is a really tough cover. Any time we’ve made a mistake around him with regard to executing the coverages to help him, we’ve paid for it.”
And Wembanyama’s numbers are carrying the weight: in the first postseason of his career, he is averaging 20.4 points, 11.2 rebounds and 4.2 blocked shots while shooting 53.8% from the field.
Third, getting Anthony Edwards free could decide the back half
Edwards is the engine Minnesota keeps turning to, even when the rest of the operation struggles to move in rhythm.
His ceiling showed up in Game 4, when his 36-point performance helped Minnesota secure its second win in the series. But across the postseason, his form has looked uneven—sometimes fast and decisive, sometimes a step behind.
The issue is not just read-and-react speed. Edwards’ production has been affected, and the reason is knee-related. He is averaging 21.3 points and 2.8 assists on 44.2% field-goal shooting and 32.1% from 3-pointers—numbers described as career lows, compared to his first four postseasons.
The practical challenge is how San Antonio chooses to trap and crowd him. Edwards can handle double teams, but the way to make that work less exhausting is to reduce how often he has to beat traffic while dribbling over halfcourt.
That’s where the Wolves’ plan matters: draw away extra defenders, or keep them from showing up in the first place, and find ways for someone else to handle the ball across midcourt. If other initiators can keep San Antonio from setting the trap, Edwards’ decision-making becomes cleaner.
Randle explained the adjustment the Wolves want Thursday: “Just getting Ant off the ball and setting some screens for him so they can’t just trap him when he dribbles over halfcourt. Every time he dribbles over halfcourt, they’re trapping him.”
The difference between Game 5’s early minutes and the start of the second half showed why that matters. Minnesota quickly turned a 59-47 deficit into a 61-61 tie.
Game 6 doesn’t just ask Minnesota to play harder.. It asks them to play smarter in the moments that decide trajectories—first by not bleeding points in the opening quarter. then by tightening their coverage discipline around Wembanyama. and finally by finding ways to keep Edwards from being trapped before he even gets to the place where he wants to operate.
Friday’s result will tell you which team earned the better answer.. For the Spurs, closing this out now shortens the runway for risk.. For the Wolves. it’s about proving the lesson they’ve already learned once in these playoffs—regrouping at home and using Game 6 to turn momentum into two straight wins.
And this time, the clock is already ticking.
Timberwolves Spurs Game 6 Anthony Edwards Victor Wembanyama Chris Finch Rudy Gobert Julius Randle NBA Playoffs