Game Thread Playoffs Round 2, Game 1: Spurs vs Timberwolves (0-0) (Mon 05/04/2026) [8:30 CDT]

[Unseen]

I don't care who loses allot of their minutes (preferably Fox) but Harper needs to be given major minutes, he's earned it and I also think he is the man for this series

 

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I mean honestly I don’t see them moving away from Mitch until/unless Wemby is 28-29 and still ringless and our team is on the decline. Spurs just wouldn’t do it, loyalty is their best and worse asset sometimes.

I think our best bet is that he just gets better and improves. First step is gonna be figuring out that Fox can sit on the bench if a rookie is outplaying him, none of this seniority shit when the chips are down, this isn’t a charity

It is for the vibes coach who learned everything he knows from the old senile get over yourself geriatric 'tard.

 

[Spurminator]

I'm generally okay with not calling a time out, but they should have completed that fast break close to the basket.

 

[Raven_]

Keldon was overplayed and completely sucked guarding Ant

The non-timeout on the last possession was a huge mistake.

Down 0-1 due to Mitch

that's not his fault though, why is he guarding ant on the perimeter and castle is on randle? It's just the stuff i've been rambling on for a year now... people really need to stop putting big guys on fast players on the perimeter, and fast smaller guys on big guys in the paint... it's just dumb

 

[tearsofmorningdew]

Two cents from a wolves fan tonight. I didn't see the first half I was still working. Saw the 7 block stats and was surprised it was so close. Should have been a blowout, DVD and Ayo are a huge part of this team and ant isn't 100% yet. Even if so this isn't the roster that should compete with the 26 spurs.

BUT takeaways for the second half. Your coach is trash. Pop has been a bitter corpse the last 5-6 years also and that has stifled the addition of a great coach. Denver was clearly out coached and every wolves fan was so thankful that they didn't still have Malone. I'm not a Finch fan but it was too easy to take Wemby out of the equation down the stretch on D. No reason for him not to counter the wide open curls and screens to pull Wemby out of the paint.

And Wemby was very undiscliplined. The first half block stats got me thinking that and it reafirmed it watching the second half. He is very quick to leave his feet. A guy that can score from the 5 and take advantage of that could get him in easy foul trouble. Plus the 3s he took seemed out of flow and forced. Especially with Randle/Jaden getting into foul trouble and Rudy being too slow.

very cool, looking forward to the wolves getting swept in the WCF if they somehow get past us

 

[amans]

Wemby’s passive play on offense was my biggest concern. He didn’t shoot a single FT until it was almost over. Then two stupid TOs from Fox in the second half turned the tide against us. Everyone else was fine. We need CB to cover their PF geez

As usual, Mitch doesn’t play him. We’re going to need him for some defense and bodies on Randle we have nobody who can guard him. Keldon has a big body and might be more useful this series but CB has got to play 10 mins for some length and defense.

 

[MannyIG]

Wide open look for 3 to win > contested attempt against a set defense to tie

Every time. Because the objective of the game is to win, not to go to overtime

Wide open look for a Champ catch and shoot? Maybe, but I'm not even sure tht's true. That's a 40% ish shot, so you take that and your chance of victory is 40%. A contest two from Wemby is a higehr perecentage shot, and you have a chance you also draw a foul. But of course, that doesn't mean you win every time you go to OT. Do you win 40% of the time with that? I think you do.

BUT IT WASN'T A WIDE OPEN CATCH AND SHOOT CHAMP 3!!!! It was a dribble step back, which was uncontested, but is a much lower percentage shot in the 2nd quarter and in the 4th of a playoff game from Champ? Yeah its even lower.

People keep saying "wide open 3" but that's not really what it was.

 

[Dbreiden83080]

As these playoffs go on, you really do see that this is the worst version of this team We are going to see assuming health. So much immaturity and inexperience. And guys like Harper and Castle that will just get much better.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Castle had that one reach in, I believe it was on Randal. But otherwise he was completely fucked by the refs IMO. At least two of them were absolutely bullshit especially Randal pushing him. That is our best perimeter defender.

 

[Fabbs]

Single coverage while Julius plays linebacker down low isn’t gonna work we gotta double him and make someone else beat us

Lack of a big PF is glaring.

 

[Rafa]

The worst part about these games is them ending at 12:30am East cost time leaving me all worked up before sleep :lol

 

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I would have preferred a Dylan shot or Dylan drive to the rack - he may have scored and drawn the foul. I don't know, another poster said Dylan looked gassed. Maybe he didn't have enough juice to take the shot or make the play. I hope it wasn't because he thought he shouldn't due to it not being his team.

He was looking for a timeout. Then when he realized it wasn't coming it was oh shit better figure something out.

 

[Amuseddaysleeper]

As usual, Mitch doesn’t play him. We’re going to need him for some defense and bodies on Randle we have nobody who can guard him. Keldon has a big body and might be more useful this series but CB has got to play 10 mins for some length and defense.

CB is injured

 

[Mugen]

very cool, looking forward to the wolves getting swept in the WCF if they somehow get past us

That avatar tbh

 

[tearsofmorningdew]

What happened to “spurs about to sweep?”

Not even I could’ve foreseen this putrid fox game. I thought he turned a corner or at least got to the point where he wasn’t actively sabotaging games. Too much to ask

 

[Wemby_Island]

Minny pulling Gobert in the 4th and going with 5 parameter players really threw the Spurs off.

They've seen it now though and that is likely the biggest adjustment Minny can make in the series.

If Fox and/or Wemby are just average offensively this is a blow out tonight. Hopefully they get it together and bounce back Wednesday

Jaden is one of the best defenders in the league.

I feeel that stretch where Fox did 2 Quick turnovers where they jumped the ball is where we lost the game.

He is complete ass if he is not scoring.

 

[LeBowen]

Stop talking about the lack of PF.
We're playing against one of the best teams in the league, of course that they're going to have some advantages over us.
We contained those advantages fairly well, it's not like Randle and Naz killed us.

The issue is that we didn't capitalize on the advantages we're supposed to have.
They decided to put McDaniels on Castle and Fox made Shannon and Conley like they're 1st team all-defense.
It's not even about him missing shots, but not being able to create an advantage, make the right reads and collapse the defense.
He also made at least 3 terrible, momentum swing turnovers that cost us the game.

 

[kjhip1]

Wide open look for a Champ catch and shoot? Maybe, but I'm not even sure tht's true. That's a 40% ish shot, so you take that and your chance of victory is 40%. A contest two from Wemby is a higehr perecentage shot, and you have a chance you also draw a foul. But of course, that doesn't mean you win every time you go to OT. Do you win 40% of the time with that? I think you do.

BUT IT WASN'T A WIDE OPEN CATCH AND SHOOT CHAMP 3!!!! It was a dribble step back, which was uncontested, but is a much lower percentage shot in the 2nd quarter and in the 4th of a playoff game from Champ? Yeah its even lower.

People keep saying "wide open 3" but that's not really what it was.

thought it looked more like a sidestep.

 

[Spurminator]

Lack of a big PF is glaring.

I'm seriously so baffled that so many of you think this game was about of lack of defense or size lol.

 

[onechance87]

Barnes shouldnt be playing at all these playoffs.Spurs should of done a better job bringing in bryant this season.
Alot of dnp in favor of barnes getting play time.Knew barnes and keldon would be unplayable these playoffs.Rather bryant
got their mins.Hopefully bryant injury not serious.

 

[Ice009]

And this defensive scheme of leaving someone wide open and daring them to shoot can't work if the guy left wide open is a 38% career 3pt shooter that has more than a 100 playoff games under his belt.

I'm sick of seeing guys left open. I mean, even average shooters can make open shots. Conley isn't a sub-30% shooter that you can leave open, or a non-shooter like Gobert that you can leave open at the three. Just poor strategy.

I can't even be mad at the Wolves because I like the way they play. Edwards didn't force anything and integrated himself nicely into a team that found a rhythm without him.

Edwards was brilliant and I loved the respect he showed the game at the end by being super critical of his play in the last two minutes. He had my respect before.

Victor called Jokic out not being an MVP for him playing only on one end, Victor needs to call himself out for doing the exact same thing this game. All defense and no offense. That's not MVP level either.

 

[SanAnSpursFan21]

As these playoffs go on, you really do see that this is the worst version of this team We are going to see assuming health. So much immaturity and inexperience. And guys like Harper and Castle that will just get much better.

That’s the solace of all this that’s kept me from getting too mad so far, including tonight. This team is one athletic PF and the guys developing on track away from running rough shod on the league for a decade.

 

[Splits]

After tonight, I'm really questioning if Mitch is a terrible coach.
You'll think he ever thought about telling Vic and Fox to maybe stop taking terrible shots with 18 seconds left on the clock?
The whole game was play 18-24 seconds of great D, only to piss the next possession away in 8 seconds or less.
At least Harp, Champ, and Keldon showed up. We played a terrible, sloppy, frantic offensive game and had a great chance to take the W.

This is going 7 games, unless Mitch mitches it up

Keldon was absolute trash. His defense sucked harder than the worst porn star

 

[Rocalcio]

As usual, Mitch doesn’t play him. We’re going to need him for some defense and bodies on Randle we have nobody who can guard him. Keldon has a big body and might be more useful this series but CB has got to play 10 mins for some length and defense.

In wasn’t in suit

 

[Mogging]

What was up with Wemby trying to rebound and shoot at the same time? I hadn't seen him do that shit so often in one game. The whole team just felt off tonight.

Like I don’t understand why him and even kornet just don’t grab the ball and reset