Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox led the Spurs past the Trail Blazers 114-95 in Game 5. Five takeaways from San Antonio's series-clinching win.
The San Antonio Spurs officially advanced to the Western Conference semifinals after achieving a 114-95 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 5, wrapping up the first-round series 4-1.
Below are five takeaways from the closeout.
1. San Antonio Set the Tone Early and Never Let Go
At the end of the first quarter, the Spurs led 36-24, and there was nothing that the Trail Blazers could do about it. Portland never tied it or led the rest of the night. San Antonio went on to lead by as many as 28. The shooting splits told the same story as the Spurs shot 54.7% overall and 40% from 3-point range, while Portland shot 35.1% from the floor and 23.4% from deep.
Castle described Game 5 as San Antonio's sharpest performance of the five games.
"I thought it was probably our most professional game of the series," Castle said. "We came out and punched first, especially in a game that mattered with them on the ropes."
That start was the difference between closing out at home and a flight back to the Pacific Northwest with a 3-2 series.
2. Wembanyama's Defense Was the Story of the Series
Victor Wembanyama finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and six blocks on 5-of-7 shooting, 1-of-2 from three, and 6-of-6 from the line. Portland was 19-of-38 inside the arc and finished with 38 paint points. The 14 rebounds tied for the game high.
Three of Portland's five games in the series ended with their offense stuck under 100. The other two capped out at 106 and 108. Trying to put the ball in the basket against Wembanyama was, simply, a nightmare.
Head coach Mitch Johnson argued that the box score understates what happened defensively.
"On the surface level, five NBA games, three of them under 100, you'd say that's a job well done," Johnson said. "But when you dig deeper, we had stretches where second-chance points hurt us, and stretches where turnovers led to points. Our half-court defense may have actually been even better than the raw numbers suggest."
Tuesday was Wembanyama's first NBA playoff series win.
"What I liked most is that when things got tough, we went back to the game plan and trusted each other," Wembanyama said. "That says a lot about this group."
3. Fox Got His First Playoff Series Win and Closed Out Like a Veteran
De'Aaron Fox put up 21 points and nine assists on 8-of-14 shooting and 2-of-5 from three-point range, finishing with a plus-26 rating across 34 minutes. With the victory, Fox finally got his first career playoff series win on Tuesday, almost a decade into his NBA career.
"It's taken a while, but it definitely feels good," Fox told reporters. "We felt like we put ourselves in position to win all five games."
Looking back on the series, Fox said defense was the deciding factor, particularly against a physical Portland team that bullied San Antonio in Games 2 and 3.
"For us, it was defense. That's how we won," Fox said. "We knew what they wanted to do and tried to take it away, and I think we did a good job."
Johnson said Fox's closing ability remains a stabilizing force for a young Spurs roster.
"He was Clutch Player of the Year for a reason," Johnson said. "He might be as good as anyone I've seen at balancing when to play off it and when to take over. When he decides to go, he doesn't mess around. He gets right to it."
4. Champagnie's Adjustment Unlocked the Hot Start
Julian Champagnie scored 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 5-of-7 from three-point range, and added seven rebounds. Champagnie scored 11 in the first quarter, when San Antonio built a double-digit lead.
Portland had limited Champagnie's looks earlier in the series by chasing him off the three-point line. The fix, Champagnie said, was on him.
"Just moving more," Champagnie said. "The first couple games, I did a poor job of moving without the ball. So it was about finding my spots and making myself available."
The Spurs reaped the benefits when those open looks finally went down to start Game 5.
5. Balance Was the Spurs' Edge All Series Long
All five San Antonio starters finished in double figures, and the bench got there too with rookie Dylan Harper. Off the bench, Harper hit 6-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-5 at the line for 17 points across 26 minutes. Castle had a mixed night statistically, putting up 15 points and five assists against seven turnovers and earning a technical foul at the 4:36 mark of the fourth. Devin Vassell played 34 minutes and turned in 10 points, two assists, and a steal. Luke Kornet and Keldon Johnson combined to add a dozen points off the bench.
"That's been part of who we are all year," Johnson said. "Victor creates so much gravity, and we moved the ball well. Guys got open looks, especially from three."
Deni Avdija led Portland with 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting and 7-of-11 from the line, but his night unraveled in the second half with a flagrant 1 with 8:27 left in the third and a technical with 9:59 to play in the fourth. Jerami Grant scored 12 off the bench. Robert Williams III added 11 points and seven rebounds. Donovan Clingan recorded 10 points, five rebounds, and six assists. Jrue Holiday finished with eight points, six rebounds, and seven assists.
Portland played the series without Damian Lillard, who remained sidelined while recovering from Achilles tendon surgery.
The Trail Blazers outscored San Antonio 30-28 in the fourth behind a desperate push, but the Spurs had already built a comfortable lead behind a 36-point first quarter and never relinquished control. San Antonio scored 16 fast break points and forced Portland into 13 points off nine turnovers.
"They made a run, but I feel like we weathered the storm and figured it out late," Castle said.
Up Next
The Spurs advance to the Western Conference semifinals and will face the winner of the Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves first-round series.