The San Antonio Spurs lost a hard-fought battle in Game 2 of its series with Portland. What can they do to get back on top of the series?
Fresh off an exciting return to the postseason, complete with a fiesta atmosphere, the San Antonio Spurs had their party ruined in a 106-103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 2 of their series.
Things went from bad to worse for San Antonio, as the Spurs lost their leader Victor Wembanyama to a scary head injury. It landed the superstar on concussion protocol without a firm timetable for return.
In the absence of Wembanyama, there is still hope for San Antonio, evidenced by the team's strong effort in the loss Tuesday. It will take more from everyone else on the Spurs but here are some keys to reclaiming the series advantage as it heads to Portland.
Don't Get Bullied, Be Physical
It comes as no surprise that the Spurs are extremely physical and can impose their will defensively, especially with the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in Wembanyama on the court.
Without him, San Antonio is still a very competent defensive team, but it will everyone to be more aware and aggressive up-and-down the court.
In their Game 2 loss, the Spurs were narrowly outscored in the paint 40-38 and lost the blocking battle to Portland 10-6. Despite these not-so-great numbers, San Antonio still won the rebounding edge 45-43.
It is much more easier said than done, but if San Antonio wants to avoid falling behind in the series on the road, it is pivotal that it finds a physicality outside of Wembanyama.
Start Heating Up From Downtown
While the Spurs were outclassed in the paint, they also could not find shots from outside the arc.
San Antonio had a putrid 29 percent shooting night from 3-point range, finishing 7-of-24. While the Spurs are not the flashiest shooting team, they usually record better performances than that.
Stephon Castle and Julian Champagnie were the only Spurs to make multiple threes on the night, while Devin Vassell went 0-for-5 in a poor performance overall.
Regardless of the off-night, the squad will need to find those shots from deep to provide an extra dimension on offense during their stint in Portland.
Limit Hot Nights From the Blazers
Going alongside the aforementioned physicality, San Antonio could benefit from honing in on its defensive strategy.
Honestly, the Spurs have done quite well in defending the Trail Blazers as a whole in both of their games. But the biggest problem has been limiting huge nights from individuals on Portland's roster.
In both of their games this series, San Antonio has given up a 30-point game. The first time it was to Deni Avidja and most recently it was Scoot Henderson, who dropped 31 on Tuesday night.
Five Spurs broke into double figures and a few others were right behind with a nine pointer scorer and a pair of seven point scorers, but their complete team effort was clouded by Henderson's huge outing.
It's been said many times so far but it warrants another time, with no Wembanyama, the Spurs are at a disadvantage when it comes to containing the stars for Portland.
As difficult as it may be, this must become a top priority for San Antonio if it hopes to keep pace.
The Spurs now travel west to Portland for Games 3 and 4, which prove to be decisive in the now knotted-up series. San Antonio and the Trail Blazers tip-off from the Moda Center on Friday, April 24 at 9:30 p.m.