The 2026 NBA Playoffs delivers another fascinating Western Conference semi-final battle, this time pitting one of the league’s most exciting young teams against a battle-hardened, physical side.
The San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves will fight for a place in the Western Conference Finals, one step away from the NBA Finals. Fans of both sides will certainly have their predictions, but GiveMeSport has fed the data into a Supercomputer to see how the series will play out.
The data has been fed into a Supercomputer for its verdict on this Western Conference semi-final clash.
In the previous round, the Spurs handled the Portland Trail Blazers in five games, looking composed throughout and rarely troubled. The only moment of concern for the Spurs was when their star player, Victor Wembanyama, left their Game 2 loss with a concussion. Having sat out Game 3, the Spurs still managed to win by 12 points and then put themselves in the record books upon his return in Game 4, becoming the first team in NBA playoff history to trail by 15 or more points at half-time and still win the game by at least 15 points.
The Timberwolves, by contrast, had to play an extra game in their first round series against the Denver Nuggets, eventually coming through 4-2, but paying a huge physical price in doing so. The towering figure of Rudy Gobert was the real difference-maker in the series, with his teammate Jaden McDaniels describing the Frenchman as a “Hall of Fame Defender,” and earning series MVP honours.
Spurs-Timberwolves Round 2 Schedule
Game 1
San Antonio
May 4th
Game 2
San Antonio
May 6th
Game 3
Minnesota
May 8th
Game 4
Minnesota
May 10th
Game 5*
San Antonio
May 12th
Game 6*
Minnesota
May 15th
Game 7*
San Antonio
May 17th
*- If required
The physical toll of Minnesota’s series with Denver started to show in Game 4. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota’s best player and primary shot creator, is expected to miss the start of the series with a knee injury, while Donte DiVincenzo, a player who started all 82 regular-season games for the ‘Wolves, tore his Achillies, ending his season and potentially next season as well.
Losing both of those players strips the Timberwolves of significant shot creation and late-game offensive options. For San Antonio, the injury report is considerably cleaner, with rotation player David Jones out for the season, which only adds to their advantage heading in.
Supercomputer’s Prediction
The Supercomputer’s case for San Antonio begins as most conversations about this team do, with Victor Wembanyama. The 22-year-old has recently become the NBA’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, and he’s a finalist in the voting for League MVP.
The match-up against Rudy Gobert is the headline chess match of the series, and it’s one that heavily favours the Spurs. Wembanyama’s perimeter skill forces Gobert to defend in space, an environment the 33-year-old has never been comfortable in. Every time Wemby pulls Gobert away from the basket, driving lanes open up for De’Aaron Fox and last season’s Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle. That combination alone could be enough to take the series.
Then there’s the rest and depth advantage. San Antonio closed out Portland in five, rested their key players in the final stages, and arrive fresh. The Timberwolves have just been through a war with Denver and they have some significant scars. By Games 5 and 6, that difference in legs and depth carries real importance.
Edwards Could be the Key to All Hope For Minnesota
This series isn’t without hope for the Wolves, though. Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle give Minnesota a physical, defensive edge that can make this ugly. Grinding the pace down, winning rebounds, and turning it into a half-court battle is their path to pulling off the upset.
If they can slow San Antonio’s pace and limit transition opportunities, the Spurs become a different and less dangerous proposition. The biggest variable of all, though, is Edwards. If he returns earlier than expected and looks explosive, the entire complexion of the series changes.
The game was immediately halted after the incident…
A healthy Ant-Man changes what Minnesota can do offensively and makes this a far more competitive match-up. If Gobert can also dominate the glass and limit second chances, the ‘Wolves have a fighting chance. If Fox struggles against Minnesota’s perimeter length, the Spurs’ primary engine stalls.
For the time being, though, the Spurs take the series 4-2. The health disparity is simply too difficult to ignore, and Wemby’s match-up advantage over Gobert is a problem Minnesota have no clean answer to. Then again, neither does the rest of the league. Until Edwards is back on the floor and clearly himself, the Timberwolves are fighting with one hand tied behind their back, and even then, it’s realistic to assume that won’t be enough.
Kylian Mbappe is lighting up the 2026 World Cup as he looks to fire France to their second success in world football’s biggest competition since 2018.
The Real Madrid forward is firmly in the Golden Boot race against the likes of Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Junior, having found the net four times in the group stages. Mbappe was crucial to his nation lifting the trophy in 2018, bursting onto the scene as a teenager.
He then had an incredible tournament four years later in Qatar. Despite his side having to settle for second place, the 27-year-old fired in a hat-trick in the final, something only Sir Geoff Hurst has previously managed.
Kylian Mbappe Wearing Different Shirt to France Teammates
Kyle Ross (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)
That treble in the final against Argentina helped Mbappe to the Golden Boot in the 2022 World Cup. The versatile forward netted eight times in total, and was undeserving of being on the losing side.
He tends to step up on the big stage when his country needs him. Some eagle-eyed fans may have spotted a difference in the shirt Mbappe is wearing this summer compared to the rest of Didier Deschamps’ men.
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane are all expected to finish among the top goalscorers in this summer’s tournament.
The reason for that is his Golden Boot victory in 2022. Any active player who has won the individual award at the World Cup is allowed to wear a special patch on the sleeve of their shirt.
England’s Harry Kane and Colombia’s James Rodriguez are the only other players at the tournament this summer allowed to wear the patch, after winning the 2018 and 2014 Golden Boots, respectively.
The award has never been won back-to-back in the competition’s history. But with France being among the strong favourites and expected to go far, there’s every chance their talisman can scoop the honour once again. After all, he’s only four goals away from being the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer.
Mbappe: Lionel Messi Still the Best
Reuters/Maria Lysaker
While Mbappe is hunting his old Paris Saint-Germain teammate Lionel Messi down in the current Golden Boot race and the all-time scoring charts, he still concedes he has a lot to do to overtake the Argentine.
It was no surprise to Les Bleus’ number nine that Messi has continued to deliver on the big stage. He said (per ESPN): “I already knew Messi was going to keep scoring goals. He always does. He’s ahead of me and I’m behind him. I’ll keep scoring to help my national team go as far as possible.”
Following the greatest footballer of all time smashed a hat-trick against Algeria, Mbappe declared him still the best in the world. He claimed:
“It’s clear that Messi is the best in the world, and so is Cristiano [Ronaldo]. For 16 years, he [Messi] has shown his extraordinary talent. I’m just trying to do what I know how to do: show my talent on the biggest stage possible and help my national team.”
Newcastle United have lined up a deal to sign a midfielder this summer, as the Magpies face the possibility of losing some key players in the coming weeks.
A deal for the former seems the most likely, meaning Newcastle are on the market for replacements, and one target is now seemingly in the club’s sights.
Newcastle Add Felix Nmecha To Shortlist
According to a report from journalist Craig Hope, Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha is on Newcastle’s shortlist as a transfer target for this summer.
The Magpies are described as “long-term admirers” of the 25-year-old, who has impressed in the Bundesliga as well as in the World Cup with Germany in recent weeks.
Nmecha has a release clause in his deal worth £73.5 million, though that doesn’t come into effect until next summer. That said, the report claims that there is hope a move can be negotiated for lower than that price.
There is likely to be some competition for Nmecha’s signature, as Manchester United have been linked with a transfer, along with fellow Premier League rivals Liverpool.
It remains to be seen whether Newcastle can get an agreement with both Dortmund and the Germany international over a potential transfer in the coming weeks as a result.
Newcastle are facing a tough summer transfer window, with Anthony Gordon’s exit set to be just the first of a few key moves away from the club.
Given the struggles in the Premier League last season, the Magpies will be keen to not be in a weaker position next campaign when it comes to the options available.
However, it may be the sales that help ensure that is the case. Selling some important players in favour of huge transfer fees could allow it to be reinvested in a way that will add a better balance of quality across the whole squad.
Newcastle United are in the market for a striker, as one star looks set to leave the club this summer.
That, in theory, should allow the team to become stronger. But that will only happen if the right transfer replacements are found for the right price.
That was the theory in practice last summer, with Alexander Isak’s sale generating a club-record fee, but resulting in the wrong options being signed to take his place.
Newcastle cannot allow a repeat of that, especially in the midfield engine room, which has been among the key areas of strength under Howe.
Yan Diomande’s early coach Faissal Chehade explains why Liverpool could be the perfect fit, and why his ceiling may be Ballon d’Or level.
Chehade, who worked with Diomande at Leganés, reveals on Market Madness what stood out from the very beginning: the confidence, the one-v-one ability, the training-ground moments that made coaches take notice, and the mentality behind his rise from rejection across Europe to becoming one of the most talked-about young players in world football.
He also breaks down why Leipzig was the right step, why Liverpool could give Diomande the platform to become “the main man,” and why he believes the winger has the potential to reach the very top of the game.
Chapters:
0:09 — Yan Diomande’s First Coach Reveals the Talent
2:07 — The Training Goal That Made Everyone Stop
3:36 — Why Yan Diomande Was Rejected Across Europe
4:21 — Why Leipzig Was the Perfect Move for Diomande
4:55 — Why Liverpool Could Be Yan Diomande’s Perfect Fit
8:02 — Yan Diomande’s Ballon d’Or Ceiling Explained
