Spurs advance to Western finals; Pistons stay alive in playoffs

The San Antonio Spurs booked their ticket to the NBA Western Conference Finals with an emphatic 139-109 win over the Timberwolves on Friday, as the Detroit Pistons stayed alive in the East by defeating Cleveland. The Spurs arrived in Minnesota with a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven semifinals, and led throughout the victory that set up a showdown series with the reigning champion and top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.

Stephon Castle led Friday's wire-to-wire win with 32 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 11-of-16 from the field. De'Aaron Fox and French superstar Victor Wembanyama ably backed him up, adding 21 and 19 points, respectively. This marked the first time a revitalized San Antonio reached the conference finals since 2017.

While the Thunder are heavy favorites for another championship, the dangerous Spurs enjoyed a 4-1 record against Oklahoma City in the regular season. "We don't really care about the outside noise. We knew that we were ahead of schedule probably in December of last year," said Castle. "We know it's going to be tough to knock them off, but I think we're pretty confident we can do it," he added.

The Spurs got off to a fantastic start, tearing ahead in the first quarter while dominating in the paint, led by a rampant Castle. Just when it seemed grim for the Timberwolves, they fought back, spearheaded by star man Anthony Edwards. However, after amassing a 74-61 halftime lead, the Spurs roared clear in the third quarter, successfully double-teaming Edwards to shut down Minnesota's most potent threat. By the end of the third quarter, San Antonio enjoyed an insurmountable 26-point lead, with their 56 percent shooting accuracy far surpassing that of their opponents.

At a timeout with eight minutes remaining, a 25-point deficit on the board, and both teams preparing to send out their benches, Edwards walked over to preemptively congratulate the Spurs on their commanding win.

Meanwhile, Cade Cunningham scored 21 points as Detroit staved off elimination with a 115-94 victory over the Cavaliers in their Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Pistons, who were trailing 3-2 in the best-of-seven series before Friday's must-win game in Cleveland, produced a dazzling early onslaught to build a double-digit lead that proved crucial.

Cleveland, who had been unbeaten at their Rocket Arena home this postseason, will now need to win on the road in Sunday's decisive game seven in Detroit to advance. Cunningham's 21 points included five three-pointers, while at the defensive end, Detroit center Jalen Duren delivered a dominant performance that featured 11 rebounds, three blocks, and a steal.

Cunningham was one of six Pistons players to finish in double figures, with Paul Reed adding 17 off the bench, and Duren and Daniss Jenkins scoring 15 points each. "We're just playing our brand of basketball, coming out competing, trying to execute our system to the best of our ability, and we're together," Cunningham said afterward. "We stick together through everything, so it's a great win for us."

James Harden led Cleveland's scoring with 23 points, while Donovan Mitchell was limited to 18 points. The Cavaliers began Friday's game brightly, gaining a six-point lead in the first quarter before the Pistons started to assert control. A 22-4 run by Detroit saw the visitors surge to a commanding 39-27 lead in the second quarter. Although Cleveland closed the gap to 54-51 at halftime, the Pistons regrouped impressively, stifling the Cavs' threat with a 30-19 third quarter, ultimately closing out victory.