The Spurs locked up the series at home after consecutive road wins in Portland. They’ll await the winner of the Denver-Minnesota series.
SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama had 17 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks and the San Antonio Spurs never trailed in eliminating the Portland Trail Blazers 114-95 on Tuesday night in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.
De’Aaron Fox had 21 points, Julian Champagnie added 19 points and Dylan Harper had 17 as the Spurs led by as many as 28 points in 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 beat the Houston Rockets before losing Kawhi Leonard to an ankle injury and then getting swept by Golden State in the conference finals.
The Spurs will face the winner of the series between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves lead that series 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled for Thursday.
Leonard’s injury and subsequent trade led to a rapid descent in the Spurs’ fortunes. That futility allowed San Antonio to draft Wembanyama, and the 7-foot-4 center from France was stellar in closing out the series.
Portland cut its deficit to 91-82 with eight minutes remaining following an 11-0 run. But then San Antonio stuffed the rally, including Wembanyama sending Deni Avdija’s floater off the top of the backboard and into the crowd in the final minutes.
Avdija finished with 22 points but was 1 for 6 from 3-point distance as the Trail Blazers shot 23% from long range.
Portland’s Scoot Henderson scored five points. He was limited to 10 points after a skirmish with Harper in the final minute of the third quarter in San Antonio’s 120-108 win in Game 3 on Saturday.
It was one of several skirmishes during a physical and chippy series between the second-seeded Spurs and No. 7 Trail Blazers.
Coach Mitch Johnson said the Spurs could not afford another early double-digit deficit as they had 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 Champagnie.
Champagnie finished 5 for 7 from distance and San Antonio shot 40% from 3-point distance.
Portland went on a 9-0 run and cut its deficit before San Antonio stopped the rally. Devin Vassell blocked Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan on a two-handed dunk attempt, which led to a three-point play by Luke Kornet for a 64-37 advantage.
Even when Portland executed, San Antonio still managed to find a way to convert.
Late in the third quarter, the Trail Blazers forced the Spurs out of their offensive sets, forcing Vassell to throw up a jumper as the shot clock was expiring. Stephon Castle grabbed the rebound under the rim and fired to Wembanyama for a three-point play on contested layup and an 84-61 lead.
Game Blog
The San Antonio Spurs advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals with a wire-to-wire victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 5 of their opening round NBA playoff series on Tuesday night in San Antonio
End of 4Q: Spurs 114, Trail Blazers 95
The Trail Blazers landed a couple of 3-pointers to draw within 15 points, prompting a Spurs timeout just two minutes into the quarter. Two minutes later, they had landed another pair of 3-pointers to get the margin down to 9 points, their first time in single digits since the first quarter.
The margin stayed around 10 points with four minutes to go when Stephon Castle committed consecutive fouls to foul out. But the Spurs extended their lead to 18 in the next couple of minutes to ice the game.
End of 3Q: Spurs 86, Trail Blazers 65
The Spurs and Trail Blazers traded shots for much of the quarter, remaining at a 20-point margin through the first eight minutes of the quarter. By the end, the Spurs led by 21, and they were just one quarter away from a fourth victory and a series win.
End of 2Q: Spurs 65, Trail Blazers 45
The Spurs pushed the lead up to 20 points just four minutes into the second quarter and 28 points at halfway through the frame. The Trail Blazers went on an 8-0 run to finish the half and bring the margin back to 20 points at the half.
Julian Champagnie led all Spurs with 14 points in the first half. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper has 9 points each, while Victor Wembanyama and Keldon Johnson had 7 points each. The Spurs never trailed in the first half.
End of 1Q: Spurs 36, Trail Blazers 24
San Antonio started off strong, going up by 10 early in the quarter and maintaining a 12-point lead at the end of the quarter. Julian Champagnie launched three 3-pointers and recorded 11 points overall to lead the team.
Preview story:
The San Antonio Spurs are back home Tuesday night looking to close out their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 5.
San Antonio leads the series 3-1 and can punch its ticket to the Western Conference semifinals with a win. A loss would send the series back to Portland for Game 6.
All eyes are on Victor Wembanyama, who returned from concussion protocol in Game 3 and put up 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks in that win.
If the Spurs advance, they’ll face either the Minnesota Timberwolves or Denver Nuggets. Minnesota currently leads that series 3-2.
Stick with us for live updates throughout Game 5.
Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio Spurs
When/Where to Watch: Game 5, 8:30 p.m. CDT (ESPN)
Series: Spurs lead, 3-1.
Betting line: Spurs by 12.5.
What to Know: The Spurs wiped out a 15-point deficit in Game 3 and then stormed back from 19 down in Game 4. Victor Wembanyama looked fine on Sunday, finishing with 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocked shots after missing Game 3 with a concussion that he sustained in Game 2. Scoot Henderson was the star of Portland’s rally for victory in that game with 31 points, but the guard is coming off a scoreless, 0-for-7 performance in Game 4. Meanwhile, San Antonio’s starting guards have been terrific with or without Wembanyama. Stephon Castle averaged 24.5 points and De’Aaron Fox 23 in the two games in Portland.
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