Victor Wembanyama missed two and a half quarters in the San Antonio Spurs' second playoff showdown against the Portland Trail Blazers, and the team leaned into an overlooked identity.
The San Antonio Spurs lost Game 2 of their first-round matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, 106-103. However, the final score and series standings (1-1) were not the biggest story of the game.
In the second quarter, Jrue Holiday "pulled the chair" on Victor Wembanyama, and the superstar hit the floor hard, chin-first. He was ruled out for the rest of the game as a part of the league's concussion protocol, and his status for the upcoming games and the rest of the series remains up in the air.
Without Wembanyama, the Spurs were led by Stephon Castle's 18 points, and managed to stay afloat in the second half with both small-ball lineups and with Luke Kornet. As the tone of the game shifted, the Spurs tapped into an old-school, bad-boy playstyle.
Spurs Play Will Well-Earned Violence In Game 2
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In addition to Wemby leaving the game early, Harrison Barnes also headed to the locker room with a hand injury in the fourth quarter. Dylan Harper suffered a similar ailment, although he was able to return.
Donovan Clingan, Scoot Henderson, and Deni Avdija, meanwhile, got away with plenty of suspect play. That's not to say that the total lack of officiating was one-sided, as Kornet got away with a rib shot to Clingan, causing the ire of Blazers' head coach Tiago Splitter.
Down the stretch, when it became apparent that the referees were going to let both teams play (maybe they left their whistles at home?), the Spurs leaned into physicality. Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, De'Aaron Fox, and Julian Champagnie all got into it with Portland, both during and after some plays.
Clearly, there is no love lost between the two teams.
Avdija's foul-drawing antics make him one of the least-liked players in the league, and the Spurs seemed eager to go at him. Of course, when he heads downhill, he's nearly impossible to stop, although the Spurs certainly made life tough for him.
The first-time All-Star would go on to finish with only 14 points, as the referees were not eager to send him to the line.
Without Wembanyama, the Spurs leaned even more into their "our opponent is our worst enemy" mindset, and the fans at the Frost Bank Center got into it, as well. For fans of old-school NBA hoops, the physicality and in-your-face play on both ends of the floor by both teams was a welcome sight.
For a battered Spurs' squad, maybe some stricter officiating would have been welcome.