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The San Antonio Spurs’ kids look ready, even if Victor Wembanyama may not be.
With the Spurs star unavailable, second-year guard Stephon Castle delivered 33 points and rookie Dylan Harper pitched in a career-high 27 points along with 10 rebounds in a 120-108 victory in Portland on Friday to take a 2-1 series lead.
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Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 Defensive Player of the Year averaging 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a league-best 3.1 blocks, sustained a concussion in the first half of Game 2 and did not return. The Blazers went on to win in San Antonio 106-103.
Wembanyama traveled with the Spurs to Portland and hoped to play, but coach Mitch Johnson announced before the game that Wembanyama was progressing though not yet available to play.
It turned out that the Spurs didn’t need him. The Blazers led by as many as 15 points in the third quarter before Castle and Harper took over and Portland collapsed.
Wembanyama’s status for Sunday’s game is unknown.
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Harper scored 22 points in the second half. At 20, the No. 2 pick in last June’s NBA draft became the second-youngest player to score 20 or more points off the bench in a playoff game. The youngest was 18-year-old Kobe Bryant.
“When I came in the game, my biggest focus was just not trying to get it all at once and just try to be that energy guy that came in and played hard,” Harper said. “Once I started doing that, I think the game kind of just opened up.”
When/Where to watch: Game 4, 3:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN)
Series: Spurs lead, 2-1
Betting line: Spurs by 5.5
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What to Know: Luke Kornet filled in for Wembanyama with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Coach Mitch Johnson would only say that Wembanyama was progressing but would not reveal his status for Sunday’s game.
When/Where to watch: Game 4, 7 p.m. EDT (Prime Video)
Series: Celtics lead, 2-1
Betting line: Celtics by 7.5
What to Know: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 25 points to help the Celtics beat the 76ers in Game 3 and take back the home-court edge. Tyrese Maxey, voted an All-Star starter for the first time in his career, has gamely tried to carry the Sixers with Joel…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sundays-nba-matchups-spurs-trail-221948595.html
Author : ANNE M. PETERSON
Publish date : 2026-04-25 22:19:00
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