The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers will kick off the second round of the NBA playoffs. The 6th seed Minnesota Timberwolves will battle the 2nd seeded San Antonio Spurs. The San Antonio Spurs finished off the Portland Trailblazers in fives games. They defeated the Blazers six days ago 114-95. The Minnesota Timberwolves upset the Denver Nuggets four games to two despite their plethora of injuries. Donte DiVincenzo tore his Achilles, which put him out the remainder of the playoffs. Anthony Edwards missed time with a knee injury, but he’s a game-time decision as of now. Ayo Dosunmu, who’s had an amazing playoff missed the final game of their last series. San Antonio is one of the favorites to make an NBA Finals run. Can they get past the feisty Timberwolves and get closer to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2014?
San Antonio Spurs
Many had the San Antonio Spurs making it to the Western Conference Finals. Victor Wembayama is one of the finalists for league MVP. The Spurs have a great team and have the tools to make an NBA Finals run. Stephon Castle has become one of the better two-way players in the league. With the Spurs, everything starts with their defense. Wemby averaged four blocks per game and was named the 2025-26 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year. At 22, he is the youngest DPOY winner in league history. De’Aaron Fox brings that calmness to the team seeing he’s one of the leaders of the team. Wemby facing off against a former multi-time Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert creates excitement. Can this up-and-coming Spurs team take down a tough and scrappy Minnesota team?
Minnesota Timberwolves
This Minnesota team advanced to the Western Conference Finals a year ago but fell to the eventual champs. The Timberwolves have had to deal with so many injuries in the regular season and now playoffs. Anthony Edwards played four of their six first round games against the Denver Nuggets. Ayo Dosunmu, Jaden McDaniels, and Terrance Shannon Jr. picked up the slack in the process. Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert have done their part in the absence of Anthony Edwards also. Can they continue their play against a young team that’s as feisty as them? Will Edwards be healthy for the entire series? Edwards is pushing to play in Game 1, but it’s up to the medical staff. The Timberwolves are looking to return to the Conference Championship series for the second consecutive season. Can they get a step closer to finally making the NBA Finals?
Who Wins the Series and In How Many Games?
San Antonio was thought to be one of the teams that could challenge Oklahoma City in the West. Minnesota is the team that faced the Thunder in the Western Conference last season. Minnesota has built a legit roster around Edwards, and this will be their true test. The Timberwolves were able to beat the Nuggets without Edwards, but don’t think they could be against the Spurs. Wemby is the anchor for the Spurs defense, but they have other guys who’s amazing too. The Spurs have several guys that will try to keep Edwards in check. If Dosunmu, Randle, McDaniels, and others can continue their play they have a shot. The Spurs will have a tough task against Minnesota. The series will depend on the health and availability of Edwards. This series should go at least six games and I’m picking the Spurs to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
San Antonio Sours Win Series 4-2
