The San Antonio Spurs officially ended a nine-year wait on Tuesday night, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 114-95 to clinch their first-round series 4-1. The victory marks San Antonio’s first trip to the Western Conference Semifinals since 2017, punctuating a rapid rebuild centered around their generational superstar.
Victor Wembanyama dominated the interior, finishing with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks. By following up his massive Game 4 performance with another defensive masterclass, Wembanyama became the first player since Patrick Ewing in 1994 to record at least 15 points, 10 boards, and 6 blocks in consecutive playoff games. He joins a rare list of Hall of Famers to achieve the feat, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and David Robinson.
The Spurs took control early, using a 65-45 halftime lead to silence the Frost Bank Center crowd. While Portland’s Deni Avdija scored 22 points to spark a late push, veteran star De’Aaron Fox fended off the rally with 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. San Antonio’s depth was on full display as Julian Champagnie, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle combined for 51 points, ensuring the Spurs never trailed.
This milestone victory represents a 40-win improvement from Wembanyama’s rookie season. After a historic regular season in which he became the first unanimous Kia Defensive Player of the Year, Wembanyama has served as a timeline accelerator for a franchise that endured a six-year playoff drought. With other young pieces like Castle and Harper emerging as key contributors, the Spurs have transformed from a lottery team into a legitimate title contender.
San Antonio now awaits the winner of the series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets. Minnesota currently holds a 3-2 lead heading into Game 6.