Spurs advance with Game 5 win over Portland
- San Antonio beat Portland 114-95 on Tuesday night in Game 5, closing the first-round series 4-1 and sending the Spurs to the West semifinals. - Victor Wembanyama finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks as San Antonio never trailed and built a lead as large as 28. - It is San Antonio’s first playoff series win since 2017, with Denver-Minnesota next deciding its opponent. (nba.com)
San Antonio closed out Portland with a 114-95 win in Game 5 on Tuesday night, ending the first-round series in five games. (nba.com) The Spurs never trailed at Frost Bank Center and led by as many as 28 points. They won the series 4-1 after taking the last three games. (nba.com) (espn.com) Victor Wembanyama led the closeout with 17 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks. De'Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists, Julian Champagnie scored 19, and Dylan Harper had 17. (nba.com) (espn.com) Portland got 22 points from Deni Avdija, but the Trail Blazers shot 35% from the field and 23% from 3-point range. San Antonio shot 55% overall and blocked eight shots. (espn.com) The result sends San Antonio to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2017. That run was the Spurs’ last series win before the franchise’s long rebuild. (nba.com) This series turned after Wembanyama missed Game 3 with a concussion and the Spurs still won in Portland, then got him back for Game 4. San Antonio took both road games and returned home up 3-1. (nba.com) (espn.com) The bracket is not fully set yet for San Antonio. The Spurs will face the winner of the Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves series, which Minnesota led 3-2 entering Game 6 on Thursday, April 30. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) For Portland, the loss ends a season that finished 42-40 in the regular season and produced the franchise’s first playoff berth in years. For San Antonio, it opens a second-round trip built around Wembanyama’s rim protection and Fox’s pace. (espn.com) (nba.com)
