Can Young Spurs Eliminate Timberwolves Team Comfortable With Backs Against the Wall?

MINNEAPOLIS -- In a playoff run full of firsts for Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, this group is about to experience their first Game 6 with a chance to eliminate the Timberwolves on their home court.

Minnesota, however, has plenty of recent experience staving off elimination in the postseason. In fact, these Wolves seem to be at their most ferocious when they're backed into a corner with no choice but to fight.

"You're gonna get a desperate team or you're gonna find a team that's ready for their season to end, you get one of those two teams," Spurs' guard De'Aaron Fox said at shootaround before facing an opponent on the brink. "But this team that we're playing against has been in the conference finals for the last two seasons. We know that we're gonna get a team that still believes that they can win, and that's gonna come out ready to play."

"We've been better when we've had our backs against the wall for years now, it's just a part of our character," Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said between the pivotal Game 5 and the do-or-die Game 6. "We're gonna need that for sure."

Minnesota has reached the Western Conference Finals in the past two seasons, falling in gentlemen's sweeps to the Mavericks in 2024 and the Thunder in 2025. In the semifinals against the Nuggets two years ago, the Timberwolves fell into a 3-2 hole before Game 6 at the Target Center. In front of their home crowd they blew the doors off of Denver 115-70, then they went on the road and won Game 7 by eight.

Apr 25, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) fouls Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) as guard Mike Conley (10) and guard Anthony Edwards (1) defend in game five of the 2023 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

"Just knowing that we've been in this position before, and that we made our way out of the position, it's just another game and we just have to play urgent and desperate," said Jaden McDaniels, who scored 21 points on 10 shots in that triumphant Game 6.

"We know the emotional aspect of being down 3-2, and the uphill battle you have in front of you, but we also know it's possible to win these next two," said Mike Conley, a 19-year NBA veteran playing in his ninth playoff series with Minnesota and 23rd overall. "That's a good thing for us, we're gonna come in with our confident mindset, try to get this one."

"We've experienced both ends of this," Conley said. "Being knocked out how we got knocked out against Dallas, having to come back against Denver... we have to be ready to take any punches, ready to deliver any punches we need to, and be able to just be solid no matter what is going on, high or low, for our team, and emotionally stable during all of it."

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket on Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards. — May 28, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket between Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) and guard Mike Conley (10) in the fourth quarter during game five of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

All season long, Spurs skeptics have cited San Antonio's lack of postseason battle scars as a reason to doubt their status as a true title contender. They haven't been here before, and that could prove important on the road against a team that has gotten pretty comfortable fighting for their lives.

"That's where the experience comes in," said Naz Reid. "We know what we gotta do, we know what situation we're in... we've been in this situation before. It's not time to panic; this is when we play our brand of basketball."

"No doubt about it, our experiences have been helping us," Finch said. "Understanding the ups and downs, leveling them out, whether you lose by 30 or you lose by 3 it's still only a one-game loss in the series. Likewise, if you win you have a big emotional win, you've got to come out and back it up. I think we've done a better job of level setting."

This series the Timberwolves managed to win Game 1 in San Antonio by two, and then facing a potential 3-1 hole they took advantage of Wembanyama's ejection and came back to win Game 4 by five. In their three losses this series they've fallen by a combined 74 points. They know that this opponent offers unique challenges, and the age gap far from guarantees a win against a group with this much talent.

"That experience only means that we have a group that is capable of accomplishing incredible things," Rudy Gobert said. "Different team, different series, different year, so it's on us to not just be happy that we did that three years ago, but understand why we did that, understand that we did that because we decided to focus on what we need to focus on."

Apr 30, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) dribbles the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) in the first half during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

There are a few adjustments that the Timberwolves can make to their strategy, but at this point the teams know each other and what they'll try to do. If Minnesota is able to tell death, 'not today,' it will be because they fought with everything to stay alive.

"You'll see the most urgent team you've seen," Conley said. "It's a desperation feeling, you're at the cusp of trying to get to the next stage, to get to your ultimate goal and have an opportunity to get knocked out. I think everybody's on 11 as far as alert, red alert, so I think that everybody's gonna be giving everything they have. Nobody wants the season to end tonight, nobody wants it to end this way. We feel like we're a much better team than what we've played like in the series."

"I think it's about resilience," Gobert added. "We've shown that we can do that. Obviously when your back's against the wall, you have no choice but to do it, and there's no one in this group that I think is a quitter. We have guys that when facing adversity gonna give the best of what they have... We're a resilient group of guys, now we gotta be just focused on the moment. It's one game, be the best version of ourselves, and see what happens."

Timberwolves' superstar Anthony Edwards is only 24 years old, but he's already faced elimination in eight playoff games and cheated death four times. He's averaged 26.5 points, 7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in those contests, shooting 42.8% from the floor. He's been banged up, and he's been playing a crazy amount of minutes, but none of that will stop Ant Man from emptying the clip tonight.

"I don't see nobody in the locker room that's too worried," said Edwards. "At the end of the day man, it's another basketball game, so you come out, put your boots on and get ready to go to work."

"I'm not nervous or none of that no more," added McDaniels. "After my first playoff series my second year ever since then it's not nerves or nothing, it's just another game, just more at risk really."

"Any time you've been able to be in this position before it's not much you haven't seen or felt in this situation," Conley said.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrates after making a three point shot. — May 8, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrates after making a three point shot as time expires in the first quarter against the San Antonio Spurs during game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Spurs have long said they don't care about their so-called lack of experience, and they're favored in this game as they have been throughout the playoffs. Even though they deserve to be favorites, and even though they have plenty of legendary mentors around the team, this group of players won't know exactly how they'll react when they try to put a team down on the road for the first time until Game 6 tips off in front of a raucous Minnesota crowd on Friday night.

When it does, the underdog Timberwolves will be right where they're most dangerous: with their heels at the edge of a cliff.

"I don't like the word worry," Gobert said. "I think we are realistic, but we also believe in our chance, believe in who we are, even if the whole world is not believing, we do believe in ourself. As long as we have that belief anything is possible... winning a basketball game, anything in life. We believe in ourselves, we know the road is hard, but I think this group is about to accomplish very hard things."

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