Spurs surge after halftime, stealing Game 3 without Wembanyama. Blazers falter, missing a golden home-court chance to lead the series.
The Portland Trail Blazers had an opportunity to take the series lead on Friday night, with the series shifting back to Portland and Spurs star Victor Wembanyama still sidelined due to concussion protocol. But as good as the Blazers looked in the first half of this game, the second half flipped everything upside down.
Portland had control early and looked like the team with momentum, but San Antonio completely changed the game after halftime. Spurs rookie guard Dylan Harper had one of the best games of his young career, and all of a sudden, the game was flipped on its head. Portland was playing from behind and never fully recovered.
That’s what makes this one sting for the Blazers. With Wembanyama out, this felt like a real chance to take advantage and put pressure on San Antonio. Instead, the Spurs proved they could win a playoff game on the road without their best player, which could have a major impact on the rest of the series.
Stephon Castle led the way for the Spurs with 33 points, while Harper added 27 points and 10 rebounds. On Portland’s side, Jrue Holiday finished with 29 points, Scoot Henderson had 21 and Deni Avdija added 19. But outside of that trio, the Blazers didn’t get enough consistent offense to keep pace once San Antonio started to pull away.
Now, Game 4 will take place Sunday in Portland. The Blazers still have a chance to even the series and make this a tight matchup again, but if the Spurs win, they’ll head back home with a commanding 3-1 lead.