The Spurs will be hunting a 3-1 first-round series advantage when they tip off against the Trail Blazers on Sunday afternoon in Portland.
SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama has cleared the NBA concussion protocol and will play in Game 4 between the Spurs and Trail Blazers, the team announced less than an hour before tipoff.
It’s unclear if he will be on a minutes restriction.
Wemby entered the protocol after hitting his head hard on the court in the first half of Game 2 last Tuesday; he stayed on the ground for about a minute before walking to the locker room under his own power.
The team later confirmed he had suffered a concussion.
His anticipated return comes ahead of the usual timetable for return for NBA players, which insiders have reported is typically seven and 10 days.
Portland won Game 2, giving the West’s 7-seed some momentum before the series shifted west. But the Spurs denied them a chance at consecutive victories Friday, thanks in large part to playoff breakout parties by Stephon Castle (33 points, 10-of-18 shooting) and rookie Dylan Harper (27 points, 10 rebounds off the bench).
Friday’s Game 3 win gave 2-seed San Antonio a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-seven first-round playoff matchup. In a tied series, Game 3 winners go on to advance 74% of the time.
That bodes well for a Spurs team whose starters combined for just 17 games of playoff experience entering the matchup.
“I feel like we have a lot of confidence in ourselves. We know how good we are,” Castle said after Friday’s win. “Down 10, down 15 in a game like that with a lot of time to go, we just need to string some stops together and keep fighting. We have a lot of dogs that aren’t gonna quit on our team.”
Harper, who is 20 years old, made some history in the matchup, becoming the second-youngest player to score at least 20 points off the bench in a playoff game. The youngest: NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
Harper scored 22 of his 27 points in the second half. He and fellow rookie Carter Bryant played pivotal roles in helping San Antonio close a double-digit gap in the third frame before the Spurs closed things out to spoil Portland’s first home playoff game in five years.
“When I came into the game, my biggest focus was just to be that energy guy that came in and played hard,” Harper said. “Once I did that, I think the game kind of opened up.”
Eyes now turn to Game 4, which tips off Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Neither team has won consecutive games yet in a series that’s featured a different leading scorer in each game.
Wembanyama, who is with the team in Portland, was officially declared available by the Spurs at 1:45 p.m. The concussion protocol involves several league-mandated steps that must have been checked before he was able to play again, including being cleared by medical officials both with the Spurs and the NBA.
In the Game 1 win over the Blazers, Wembanyama tallied 35 points – a Spurs record for a playoff debut – as well as five rebounds and two blocks on 13-of-21 shooting from the field.
Here’s what else to know ahead of Game 4.
How to watch
The game will be televised on ESPN starting at 2:30 p.m. CT. You can also listen to game action on WOAI 1200 and KXTN 1350.
Team stats leaders (postseason)
- POINTS: Stephon Castle (22.7), Victor Wembanyama (20), De’Aaron Fox (17.3)
- REBOUNDS: Luke Kornet (8.3), Devin Vassell (7.3), Keldon Johnson (5.3)
- ASSISTS: Fox (6.0), Castle (5.7), Vassell (2.3)
- BLOCKS: Wembanyama (1.5), Vassell (1.3), Julian Champagnie (1)
Trail Blazers
- POINTS: Scoot Henderson (23.3), Deni Avdija (21), Jrue Holiday (18)
- REBOUNDS: Donovan Clingan (9.3), Robert Williams III (8), Avdija (6.7)
- ASSISTS: Holiday (8.3), Avdija (5.7), Williams (3.3)
- BLOCKS: Williams (1.3), Holiday and six others (0.7)
Injury report
As of Sunday morning, here’s where the team’s respective injury reports stack up:
- Jordan McLaughlin – Out (ankle sprain)
- Victor Wembanyama – Available
Trail Blazers
- Damian Lilliard – Out (Achilles)