Sports
Stephon Castle, Spurs finish Wolves in Game 6, set date with Thunder
May 15, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half during game six of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images The San Antonio Spurs stamped themselves ready for a showdown with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, using an early offensive explosion and a brilliant all-around effort to finish off the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals with a 139-109 victory in Game 6 on Friday at Minneapolis.
The win vaults the second-seeded Spurs into the Western finals against the top-seeded Thunder, with Oklahoma City tipping off the best-of-seven series at home on Monday.
The teams met five times in the regular season, including in the NBA Cup semifinals, with the Spurs capturing the series 4-1.
Led by Stephon Castle’s game-high 32 points and 55.7% team shooting, San Antonio left no doubt in its finale against the Timberwolves.
With Castle burying three 3-pointers and adding a three-point play among 14 first-quarter points, the visitors led by as many as 11 before blowing the game wide open by scoring the first 20 points of the second period.
Victor Wembanyama had seven of his 19 points in the run that created a 56-27 lead in the fifth minute of the second period.
Minnesota, a Western Conference finalist each of the past two seasons, fought an uphill battle the rest of the way and did manage to get within 74-61 by halftime. However, the Timberwolves were outgunned from beyond the arc and posed no serious threat over the final 24 minutes.
With Castle going 5-for-7 and De’Aaron Fox 3-for-3, the Spurs outscored the hosts 54-36 from deep, making 18 of 38 (47.3%) while the Timberwolves struggled to 12 of 34 (35.3%).
Castle wound up one point shy of the 33 he had in Game 3 at Portland in the first round. He added a game-high 11 rebounds.
Fox finished with 21 points and a game-high-tying nine assists, while Wembanyama had six rebounds and three blocks to go with his 19 points plus six assists.
Julian Champagnie chipped in with 18 points, Dylan Harper 15 and Devin Vassell 11 for the Spurs, who have reached the conference finals while appearing in the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
Making just nine of his 26 shots, Anthony Edwards paced Minnesota with 24 points.
Terrence Shannon Jr. had 21 points, Naz Reid 18, Jaden McDaniels 13 and Ayo Dosunmu 10 to complement nine assists for the sixth-seeded Timberwolves, who upset third-seeded Denver in the first round.
Minnesota’s Julius Randle shot just 1-for-8 and totaled three points, while Rudy Gobert went scoreless with just three rebounds in 22 minutes.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Slumping Corey Seager (back spasms) not in lineup vs. Astros
May 13, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) throws out Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Ildemaro Vargas (not pictured) to end the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager is not in Saturday’s starting lineup against the Houston Astros, as he woke up with back spasms, according to manager Skip Schumaker.
Seager, who is mired in a career-worst 0-for-27 stretch at the plate, did not play on Friday, but Schumaker said that was due to a previously scheduled day off.
“He wanted to see if he could loosen up when he got here,” Schumaker said. “It just didn’t loosen up, so just wanted to play it smart and not push him.”
Seager went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Wednesday’s game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Five-year veteran Ezequiel Duran, who is hitting .274, will start his second consecutive game at shortstop and bat in the No. 5 hole.
Duran has also played second base, third base and both corner outfield spots in 2026.
Seager, a five-time All-Star, is now batting .179 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs in 42 games this season.
He is in his fifth season in Texas after signing a 10-year, $325 million deal prior to the 2022 season. Seager played for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2015-2021.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rockies square series with Diamondbacks in rare homer-less game
May 16, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies outfielder Willi Castro (3) slides safely into home during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Mickey Moniak drove in two runs and the host Colorado Rockies held on to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 on Saturday afternoon.
Jake McCarthy was 2-for-3 with an RBI, Brenton Doyle 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Willi Castro 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Rockies, who evened the three-game series and won for only the second time in seven games.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. stole home and he and Ketel Marte each went 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Diamondbacks, who had won Friday’s series opener 9-1.
It was only the third game at Coors Field without a home run this season.
Arizona had runners on second and third, the potential tying and go-ahead runs, with two out in the seventh but reliever Jaden Hill retired Geraldo Perdomo on a grounder to first.
The Diamondbacks recorded nine hits and drew five walks, but went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
Moniak was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth by reliever Brandyn Garcia to stretch the lead to 4-2.
Antonio Senzatela pitched the ninth to earn his third save, despite allowing two baserunners.
Rockies starter Tomoyuki Sugano (4-3) got the win giving up two runs on seven hits in five innings with two walks and a strikeout.
Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez (4-1) allowed three runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings, did not walk a batter and struck out six.
The Rockies jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on RBI singles by T.J. Rumfield and Moniak as the first three batters all reached with base hits.
Arizona got on the board to make it 2-1 in the top of the second as Gurriel Jr. stole home as part of a double steal with Jose Fernandez swiping second.
Colorado upped its lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the second inning on McCarthy’s run-scoring single, which plated Kyle Karros. McCarthy was thrown out at second by left-fielder Gurriel Jr., trying to stretch the liner into left-centerfield gap into a double.
Back-to-back one-out doubles by Marte and Corbin Carroll in the fifth brought Arizona to within 3-2.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Hugo Cuypers tallies again as Fire douse CF Montreal
May 16, 2026; Montreal, Province of Quebec, CAN; Chicago Fire FC midfielder Philip Zinckernagel (11) plays the ball against the CF Montreal during the first half at Saputo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images Hugo Cuypers scored for a 10th consecutive match and the Chicago Fire earned a 2-0 victory at CF Montreal on Saturday afternoon.
Cuypers took his MLS-leading total to 13 goals, two in front of Miami’s Lionel Messi and Dallas’ Petar Musa. They both play later this weekend.
Philip Zinckernagel added his fifth goal of the season early and assisted Cuypers’ late tally as the Fire (7-4-2, 23 points) posted their second away win in four days. Chris Brady made six saves to keep his and Chicago’s sixth clean sheet.
Montreal (4-8-1, 13 points) lost for the first time in five home matches under interim manager Philippe Eullaffroy.
The hosts held 56.8% of the possession and owned a 15-13 edge in shots, yet were shut out for the first time since a 3-0 loss on April 4 at New England.
Zinckernagel put Chicago in front in the 14th minute. Maren Haile-Selassie ran onto a long ball down the left, then played in a left-footed cross toward the penalty spot.
Montreal’s Brayan Vera reached it first and tried to clear, but the ball deflected off his teammate Jalen Neal and bounced toward the penalty arc. That’s where the late-arriving Zinckernagel met it with a first-time finish into the bottom left corner.
Brady was excellent to keep Chicago in front when it was 1-0, particularly after halftime. He denied Dawid Bugaj’s promising attempt from the center of the penalty area in the 56th minute, then in the 65th made an excellent double stop that included a reflexive denial of Noah Streit’s low, deflected shot through traffic.
The Fire had their second two minutes later. Haile-Selassie picked up a loose ball at the center circle and played it forward to Zinckernagel as Cuypers took off in front of him on a diagonal run.
Zinckernagel played it farther forward in time for Cuypers to remain onside. Cuypers reached it on the right side of the penalty area and guided a side-footed finish beyond Thomas Gillier (2 saves) and inside the far left post.
Brady still had work to do to preserve the shutout, reacting superbly to deny Daniel Rios’ near-post header four minutes into second-half stoppage time.
–Field Level Media
