Victor Wembanyama recorded 17 points, 14 rebounds, and six blocks as the San Antonio Spurs eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers with a 114-95 victory on Tuesday night, securing their first playoff series win since 2017.
Spurs Dominate to Close Out Series
De'Aaron Fox contributed 21 points, Julian Champagnie added 19, and Dylan Harper scored 17 for the Spurs, who led by as many as 28 points in the decisive Game 5. The win gave San Antonio a 4-1 series victory.
“We didn’t want to go back to Portland,” Champagnie said. “That was kind of the emphasis for the guys on the team. We just didn’t want to fly back to Portland. It’s a four-hour flight. So being up 3-1 and playing at home, it’s a good chance to close it out and not go back. So, that was all of the motivation we needed tonight.”
Wembanyama's Defensive Prowess
Wembanyama, the newly crowned NBA defensive player of the year, was instrumental in the Spurs' success. Portland coach Tiago Splitter praised his defensive impact: “It’s extremely difficult. You’ve got to do a lot of tricks and try to set backscreens and seals and spin actions. It’s not easy, because he can contest the three and the rim at the same time, basically. He’s going to create a lot of problems for a lot of teams for a long time.”
The Spurs will now face the winner of the Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves series, with the Timberwolves holding a 3-2 lead and Game 6 scheduled for Thursday.
Other NBA Playoff Results
76ers Avoid Elimination
Joel Embiid scored 33 points and added eight assists as the Philadelphia 76ers avoided elimination by defeating the Boston Celtics 113-97 in Game 5. Tyrese Maxey contributed 25 points and 10 rebounds for the 76ers, who trail 3-2 in the series. Philadelphia outscored Boston 28-11 in the fourth quarter after trailing by one entering the final period. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 24 points and 16 rebounds, while Jaylen Brown added 22 points. Boston shot just 3-for-22 from the floor in the fourth quarter.
Knicks Take 3-2 Series Lead
Jalen Brunson scored 39 points to lead the New York Knicks to a 126-97 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5. OG Anunoby added 17 points and 10 rebounds as the Knicks took a 3-2 series lead. New York dominated the boards with a 48-27 rebounding advantage. Jalen Johnson recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists for the Hawks, while Dyson Daniels had 17 points. Atlanta were limited to just four fastbreak points.
