Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
San Antonio — Victor Wembanyama had 17 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks and San Antonio Spurs Never fell behind in elimination Portland Trail Blazers 114–95 Tuesday night in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.
De’Aaron Fox 21 points were Julian Champagne Added 19 points and Dylan Harper The Spurs led by 17 to 28 points after winning their third straight game to advance to the second round.
San Antonio advances to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2017, when it defeated Houston Rockets before losing Kawhi Leonard An ankle injury and then lost to Golden State in the conference finals.
The Spurs will face the winner of the series Denver Nuggets And Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves lead that series 3-2, with Game 6 set for Thursday.
Leonard’s injury and subsequent trade led to a rapid descent of the Spurs’ fortunes. That futility allowed San Antonio to draft Wembanyama, and the 7-foot-4 center from France was excellent in closing out the series.
Portland cut its deficit to 91-82 after an 11-0 run with eight minutes remaining. But San Antonio stuffed the rally, including sending Wembanyama Denny AvdijaFloater off the top of the backboard and into the crowd in the last minute.
Avdija finished with 22 points but was 1-for-6 from 3-point distance as the Trail Blazers shot 23% from long range.
of Portland Scoot Henderson Scored five points. He was limited to 10 points after colliding with Harper in the final minutes of the third quarter in San Antonio’s 120-108 win in Game 3 on Saturday.
It was one of several clashes during a physical and chippy series between the second-seeded Spurs and the No. 7 Trail Blazers.
Coach Mitch Johnson said the Spurs could no longer afford an early double-digit deficit like in the third and fourth games. San Antonio responded by charging to a 17-4 start, fueled by a pair of 3-pointers and eight points by Champagne.
Champagne is 5-for-7 from distance and San Antonio is shooting 40% from 3-point range.
Portland went on a 9-0 run and cut its deficit before stopping the San Antonio rally. Devin Vassell Blocked Trail Blazer Center Donovan Klingon A two-handed dunk attempt, which led to a three-point game Luke Cornett for a 64-37 advantage.
Even when Portland executed, San Antonio was able to find a way to convert.
Late in the third quarter, the Trail Blazers forced the Spurs off their offensive sets, leading to Vassell hitting a jumper as the shot clock expired. Stephen Castle Caught the rebound under the rim and fired Wembanyama for a three-point play for an 84-61 lead in the contest.
