Wemby’s explosive debut

Victor Wembanyama opened his first National Basketball Association playoff game with 35 points, and San Antonio beat Portland 111-98 in Game 1 on Sunday night. (nba.com) (apnews.com) He made five 3-pointers, added two blocks and scored 21 points before halftime at Frost Bank Center. The Spurs led the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series 1-0 after their first playoff win since 2019. (abcnews.com) (espn.com) The 21 first-half points were the most in the opening half of an National Basketball Association playoff debut since play-by-play tracking began in 1997. His 35 points also passed Tim Duncan’s 32 for the most by a Spur in a playoff debut. (abcnews.com) (espn.com) San Antonio entered the series as the West’s No. 2 seed against No. 7 Portland, and Sunday was the franchise’s first home playoff game in seven years. The result put Wembanyama at the center of the Spurs’ first postseason run since the end of the Gregg Popovich era on the bench. (nba.com) (expressnews.com) National Basketball Association defenses usually force first-time playoff scorers into tougher shots and fewer clean looks. Wembanyama shot 8-for-13 in the first half and 12-for-22 for the game, which kept Portland from shrinking the floor against San Antonio’s other young scorers. (abcnews.com) (apnews.com) The National Basketball Association said he became the first player in league history to post at least 35 points and five made 3-pointers in a playoff debut. NBA.com also called it a Spurs franchise record for points in a postseason debut. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) Portland still has a quick turnaround. Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, at 8 p.m. Eastern in San Antonio, with the Spurs trying to turn one loud debut into a 2-0 lead. (nba.com) (sports.yahoo.com)