Victor Wembanyama scores 35 in playoff debut, lifts Spurs over Trail Blazers in Game 1
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San Antonio rookie Victor Wembanyama delivered 35 points in his first postseason appearance on Sunday, guiding the Spurs to a 111-98 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 of their first-round series.
The 7-foot-4 center poured in 21 points before halftime, the most ever in the opening half of a playoff debut during the play-by-play era. His 35 overall eclipsed Tim Duncan’s franchise record for a playoff debut.
“It is obviously different,” Wembanyama said, according to The Associated Press. “But we’ve been really good in the regular season; we have no reason to act differently or do anything different.”
De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle each scored 17 for San Antonio, which controlled the game with steady defense, strong rebounding and an uptempo pace.
Portland struggled from long range, finishing 10-for-38 on three-pointers. “The Spurs put you in tough positions,” Blazers coach Tiago Splitter said. “Against them, you’ve got to shoot the ball well from threes. We didn’t. We’ve got to shoot the ball better.”
Deni Avdija paced Portland with 30 points and 10 rebounds, while rookie guard Scoot Henderson added 18. Consistency eluded the Blazers, who face a quick turnaround.
“Every possession matters—play to the whistle,” Spurs guard Devin Vassell said.
Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday in San Antonio.
Source: Hoops Wire
