San Antonio notched its first playoff series win in nearly a decade. Now, the Spurs await either Denver or Minnesota in the next round.
San Antonio returned home and took care of business in a Game 5 win over the Portland Trail Blazers 114-95. The victory secured a gentleman's sweep in the series for the Spurs' first playoff series win since 2017.
In his second game back and first in front of his home crowd since a nasty injury, Victor Wembanyama turned in a 17-point, 14-rebound, and six-block night. It was a solid outing for the superstar, who was uncharacteristically overshadowed by other Spurs.
De'Aaron Fox continued to cement his legacy this postseason, with another team-high total of 21 points. He also tallied nine assists in an unselfish performance.
Outside of Fox, Julian Champagnie had a nuclear night from downtown, draining 5-of-7 threes to go toward his 19 points. Dylan Harper came off the bench and tied with Wemby at 17 points.
For arguably the first time since the series opener, San Antonio looked like itself from opening tip to final buzzer. Their identity could not have returned at a better time, as the Spurs stare down tougher competition in the next round.
With the Blazers all flamed out, San Antonio moved into the Western Conference Semifinals. Their opponent has yet to be determined - the Spurs are only the second team in the NBA to advance thus far - it comes down to the winner of the series between Denver and Minnesota.
As of Tuesday night, Minnesota holds a narrow 3-2 advantage over the Nuggets. However, Denver is fresh off a massive win to stay alive in Game 5, and the Timberwolves are battling major injury concerns. It comes down to whether the T-Wolves can survive or the Nuggets take advantage of their misfortunes.
For San Antonio, it would appear they would prefer to square off with Minnesota, not just because of the weakened nature of the T-Wolves.
The Nuggets have posed a serious issue for the Spurs so far this season. Denver captured the regular-season series by a record of 3-1, including three straight wins over the Spurs.
These wins come with some asterisks, as Wembanyama was absent in all but one of these affairs. The matchup he did play in was still a loss, but it was only a two-point defeat in overtime on the road in Denver.
Speaking of slim margins, in all four meetings, only 20 points separated the two squads.
Compare that to the Spurs' season against Minnesota, where San Antonio lost 2-1 in the regular season with Wemby out for one game. In the latter two games with their leader, the Spurs lost by only one point in Minnesota and held off the T-Wolves in San Antonio by three.
While these aren't the best metrics either, the Spurs at full strength seem to fare better against Minnesota. Again, not to exploit the Timberwolves' injury woes, but they will not be the same team that battled San Antonio in the regular season without Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards.
It was a much wilder series against Portland than the final 4-1 margin showcased, and the next round promises to take that intensity to the next level, whether it be Minnesota or Denver, if the regular season is any sign.