Wembanyama’s big debut

Victor Wembanyama opened his first National Basketball Association playoff game with 35 points, and San Antonio beat Portland 111-98 to take Game 1 on April 19. (nba.com) He shot 13-for-21 from the field, made 5 of 6 three-pointers, and added five rebounds, two blocks and one assist in 33 minutes at Frost Bank Center. (nba.com) The 35 points were the most ever by a Spurs player in a postseason debut, passing Tim Duncan’s 32 in 1998. Wembanyama also became the first player in league history to post at least 35 points and five made threes in a playoff debut. (nbcsports.com) (nba.com) San Antonio is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2019, and the win gave the No. 2 seed Spurs a 1-0 lead over the No. 7 seed Trail Blazers in the first round of the Western Conference bracket. (sports.yahoo.com) (nba.com) The game also fit the shape of San Antonio’s season. National Basketball Association coverage pointed to the Spurs’ young core around Wembanyama, and Game 1 showed that mix early as San Antonio built control before pulling away in the second half. (nba.com) Portland still had its own scorer. Deni Avdija finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds, but the Trail Blazers did not get enough offense elsewhere to erase San Antonio’s lead. (si.com) (nba.com) The attention spike was immediate after the final buzzer. Yahoo Sports published a game story within hours, and the National Basketball Association posted an official highlight package labeled “Wemby puts up franchise best in Playoff debut to beat Portland.” (sports.yahoo.com) (nba.com) Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, with San Antonio trying to turn one record-setting debut into a 2-0 series edge. (nbcsports.com)