May 1, 2026 - Sports

What to expect from the Spurs-Wolves matchup

Madalyn Mendoza

Spurs players in white jerseys drive the ball while a tall defender in gray with neon trim guards them; a packed arena watches from the stands. — Minnesota Timberwolves vet Rudy Gobert guarding Spurs star Victor Wembanyama in the regular season. Photo: David Berding/Getty Images

The Spurs host the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday night in the Western Conference semifinals — the first time the Spurs have made it past the first round of the playoffs since 2017.

The latest: Minnesota is coming off a 4-2 upset of Denver but is banged up — star Anthony Edwards is out to start the series with a knee injury, and Donte DiVincenzo is done for the season with a torn Achilles.

Reality check: The Spurs and Wolves met three times during the regular season, with the latter winning two games. Spurs forward-center Victor Wembanyama was out for one of the games.

The intrigue: The teams bring similar strengths, including top sixth men: the Spurs' Keldon Johnson won this year's Sixth Man award, and the Timberwolves' Naz Reid took the award in 2023-24.

The headliner is Wemby vs. Rudy Gobert — mentor-mentee duo and Defensive Player of the Year winners, with Wemby holding the current title and Gobert owning four.

What they're saying: Some experts see Spurs winning in five. Even Wolves coach Chris Finch noted the toll of the Denver series and said San Antonio would be the "real winner" of the Nuggets vs. Timberwolves round.

"I'm not sure what we have left standing," he said after the Timberwolves sealed the series on Thursday.

What's next: Time and broadcast details are to be determined. Tickets to the game currently start at $159.

The winner of this series goes on to the conference finals before the championship round.

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What to expect from the Spurs-Wolves matchup

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