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Both sides were on the second night of a back-to-back set, and the San Antonio Spurs handled the Portland Trail Blazers on the road. This was the first matchup between last year’s first-round opponent and it was uncommonly physical for a November game.
The Spurs didn’t shoot well early, but were the nastier team from tip-off, getting into the bonus in fewer than six minutes and forcing a few turnovers. Their quickness shifting into the lane tempted the Blazers into too many unsuccessful 3-point attempts which sparked transition, but they got sloppy, committing too many fouls and that bad habit persisted most of the first half.
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The Trail Blazers stayed on their heels with relentless hustle, and then the Silver and Black cracked the code. Eventually, Victor Wembanyama also went on a tear that zapped whatever will the hosts had left. He had 29 points, seven rebounds and three assists. His biggest help came from Stephon Castle, who played a nice all-around game with 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists, plus Devin Vassell, who added 15 points and two steals.
Garbage time started when they built up a 32-point lead late in the third quarter.
Observations
The Trail Blazers were down one penetrator in Ja Morant, which affected their ability to bend the defense. On top of that, the schemes made Portland look ordinary at their downhill game and they never countered with feeding Donovan Clingan in the post. Their rebounding helped keep them in the game but that only lasted for so long.
The Spurs played with high intensity but in the first half, not much discipline. All those cheap fouls had three of them in foul trouble and prevented them from continuing their work in transition, giving the Blazers an opportunity to start creeping in through the door.
The Trail Blazers are a long, athletic team with good screen navigation, so getting by them into the lane can be a challenge. The Spurs’ jump-shooting unfastened their defense, but they started playing more forcefully on the perimeter and made it tougher to maneuver. The Spurs were not phased and kept plugging away, shooting 77.3 percent in the restricted…
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Publish date : 2026-11-08 05:40:00
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