De’Aaron Fox of the San Antonio Spurs reflected on the team’s series-clinching win over the Minnesota Timberwolves after a 139-109 Game 6 victory at Target Center on Friday, May 15. The win sent the Spurs to the Western Conference Finals, where they will meet the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Fox credited preparation and early-game execution when discussing the dominant finish. “I think it was good for us. Like I said before, we knew what we were coming into. We knew some of the adjustments that they could make,” he said. “We were prepared. So, the way that we came out, the way that we started the game and then the way that we started the second half, I think put us in a great position to win and we were able to execute.”
The Timberwolves attempted a defensive adjustment by matching Rudy Gobert on Stephon Castle, but Fox made clear the Spurs were ready. “That was the first time that they put Rudy on staff, and this is something that we’ve seen before in the past… and we were prepared.”
When asked about the effectiveness of that matchup, Fox stayed grounded. “I didn’t. But I said like, we’re prepared for that. We’ve practiced those things whenever teams invert,” he said, pointing to how San Antonio adjusts to different defensive schemes around Victor Wembanyama.
Fox also addressed his health after the physical series. “I’m all right. I mean, it hurts a bit. It’s the side, not the back, so I felt comfortable being back out there.”
The Spurs’ backcourt chemistry with Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper was another focal point of Fox’s comments. “I think it’s great. You know, the way our rotations work, at all times we have two of us out there,” he said. “We all make our open shots. We facilitate for each other… it makes it pretty easy. We can take the pressure off of each other.”
He also praised Castle’s versatility and impact. “He does a great job doing that… he goes, he screens, he plays DHOs, he gets downhill, he catches shoots, he gets to the free throw line,” Fox said. “He does so many things on the court that even when he’s not making shots, he’s still affecting the game in a positive way.”
Looking ahead to the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Fox emphasized the importance of adjusting beyond regular-season meetings. “You could take a bit from it, but the playoffs is a different story,” he said. “Schematically, you can look at it… but we’ll get there.”
He also acknowledged the challenge ahead. “That team is, I mean, they haven’t lost a game in the playoffs. So just try to stop their momentum. You know who they are. You know what they do.”
With San Antonio advancing behind strong performances from Wembanyama, Castle, and Fox, the focus now shifts to a high-stakes clash with Oklahoma City, where both execution and adaptation will be tested at the highest level.
