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The San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trailblazers took very different paths on their way back to the playoffs after prolonged droughts. San Antonio far exceeded expectations, a 62-20 season that no one saw coming, built on the talents of a young core that appears to have skipped a step or two in just Victor Wembanyama’s third season. Portland on the other hand had a challenging season, the most profound challenge being a head coaching change in just the 2nd game of the season following Chauncey Billups being put on indefinite suspension by the NBA following his arrest in a federal gambling investigation. Billups was replaced by none other than former Spur and 2014 NBA champion Tiago Splitter. The rookie Splitter, who had only joined Billup’s staff in June and had never been a head coach before this season. has been credited with holding down the fort in Portland, leading them to both a 6-game improvement from last season and their first playoff berth since 2021. That playoff trip was sealed with a clutch victory on the road in Phoenix in the Western Conference 7/8 seed game.
Which brings both teams to San Antonio tonight for the final game of the 2026 Playoff’s first weekend. While San Antonio won the season series 2-1 and come into this series as a heavy favorite, there are still some unknowns. Most notably, Victor Wembanyama missed all 3 regular season meetings between the two squads, with San Antonio winning both games at the Frost Bank Center. With Wemby in the fold for the first time all season against Portland, in San Antonio’s first home playoff game of the Victor Wembanyama era, the Blazers will really have their work cut out for them if they want to steal Game 1.
San Antonio Spurs (0-0) vs Portland Trailblazers (0-0)
April 19 2026 | 8:00 PM CT
Watch: NBC | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Line: San Antonio -10.5
Spurs Injuries: None
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Blazers Injuries: None
What to watch for
Tonight will feature plenty of players getting their first taste of the postseason, but Victor Wembanyama’s first ever playoff start is the main reason everyone is interested in this one. The French phenom has been everything…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/game-preview-san-antonio-spurs-070000282.html
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Publish date : 2026-04-19 07:00:00
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