The San Antonio Spurs cruised past the Minnesota Timberwolves with a blowout win on Wednesday, and Stephon Castle thinks the Spurs redeemed themselves after their Game 1 loss.
The San Antonio Spurs punched the Minnesota Timberwolves in the mouth on Wednesday, blowing them out in Game 2, 133-95. The Spurs enjoyed a well-rounded offensive attack, with seven players scoring in double figures. The Wolves, meanwhile, did not have a single player score more than 12 points.
After their Game 1 loss to kick off the series, the Spurs were looking for redemption, and they found it. Stephon Castle led the way for the Silver and Black with 21 points and two steals, setting the tone for the Spurs on both ends of the floor.
To close out the first half, Castle, Dylan Harper, and Devin Vassell led a Spurs run, effectively ending the game before halftime. According to Castle, all that was intentional, as the Spurs aimed to be aggressive, sending a clear message.
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Part of the appeal when the Spurs drafted Castle fourth overall in 2024 was his eagerness to do the dirty work. He's a star-caliber player who carries himself like a fringe roster guy, ready to dive on the floor, get in your face, and prove himself every possession.
"Our aggressiveness was right where we wanted it to be," he explained. "We felt like in Game 1, they got to their actions a little too easily, and they were very comfortable offensively. So I just think with the scorers that they have, we can't allow that."
In large part thanks to Castle's defense, Anthony Edwards finished with only 12 points, a massive downgrade from his 18-point, 25-minute outing in Game 1.
"I just think we respond well to adversity," he added. "I think we've done that all year. I mean, I don't think we were too shell-shocked coming out of Game 1. I think we knew why we lost Game 1, and we addressed it right away. And I feel like that's what carried us through tonight. But, yeah, I just think we respond to adversity very well."
In the third quarter, during a jump ball, Castle and Bones Hyland got tangled up. Castle may have instigated it, but Hyland is the one who got a technical foul.
Castle relished getting under his opponents' skin.
"I didn't get a tech. I think I did enough to send a message. I don't think there's anything, you know, soft about our team. So, I mean, when they try to do stuff like that on the court, I mean, if we don't respond, it feels like they're trying to punk us."
The Spurs will travel north to take on the Wolves in the Twin Cities on Friday for Game 3, and will hope to steal a road win and take a series lead for the first time.