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If the lights felt brighter in San Antonio on Sunday night, it’s because they were. For the first time since 2019, playoff basketball returned to the Frost Bank Center, and the San Antonio Spurs didn’t just show up. They made a statement.
Behind a historic night from Victor Wembanyama and his supporting cast, the Spurs pulled away from the Portland Trail Blazers for a 111-98 Game 1 win of their first-round playoff series — a game that was closer than the final score suggests, but never truly out of San Antonio’s control.
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“I thought we did a good job. I thought we had multiple efforts in transition and got organized,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said of the Spurs’ defense. “I thought we had some great stretches defensively.”
This was supposed to be Wembanyama’s moment. It turned into something bigger. The 7-foot-4 phenom poured in 35 points, the most ever by a Spur in a playoff debut, setting the tone early and never letting it slip. He stretched the floor, protected the paint, and, most impressively, looked completely unfazed by the stage.
San Antonio didn’t need him to do everything. But when the game tilted, he made sure it didn’t fall.
The Spurs wasted little time asserting control. A quick surge, fueled by ball movement and Portland’s cold shooting, built an early double-digit cushion. But this is the NBA Playoffs, where leads are rarely kept, and teams don’t stay comfortable.
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Portland punched back in the third quarter, trimming what had been a sizable deficit down to just two points, on an 8-0 run, briefly shifting the energy inside the arena. That’s when San Antonio showed something it’s been building all season: composure. Instead of unraveling, the Spurs responded with defense, timely shooting, and contributions across the roster: stretching the lead back to double digits heading into the fourth.
Wembanyama was the headline. The rest of the Spurs made sure it was a full story. Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox combined for 34 points while Devin Vassell and Luke Kornet brought energy and minutes to maintain momentum.
“During that stretch,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/wembanyama-historic-playoff-debut-leads-061601619.html
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Publish date : 2026-04-20 06:16:00
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