Can Portland bounce back in Game 2?
The Portland Trail Blazers fell to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night by a final score of 111-98 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. And while it was a double-digit loss, there was a lot to like about what Portland did.
Especially in the playoffs, there are no moral victories. Every loss means you’re that much closer to your season being over. But given how big of underdogs the Blazers are in this series, and with the Spurs being legitimate championship contenders, this was a one-possession game in the third quarter.
Not only did the Blazers have the game within reach in the second half, but they found ways to punch back. This wasn’t a scenario where the Spurs were playing poorly and Portland just happened to keep up. San Antonio built leads. The Spurs were up by as many as 16 points in the first half, and the Blazers fought their way back into it. Then San Antonio went on another run after Portland got it close, and the Blazers answered again late.
Overall, it was a really impressive performance from San Antonio, but there was still a lot to like from Portland’s side. What really proved detrimental for the Blazers was the Spurs shooting 45% from beyond the arc, knocking down 15 threes, piling up 20 fast-break points, and getting 35 points from Victor Wembanyama.
Outside of Wembanyama, most of San Antonio’s other top players were relatively contained. De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle each had 17 points. Devin Vassell added 15, and Luke Kornet was great off the bench with 10. But overall, this was still an impressive defensive effort from Portland.
Schematically, there were encouraging signs too. The matchups made sense. Portland had success playing off Castle and forcing him into decisions with Donovan Clingan, and Toumani Camara had some strong moments battling Wembanyama. The vision is there with this Blazers team. It’s deep, it’s gaining playoff experience, and even if this isn’t the year Portland is able to advance and win a playoff series, there’s no question there’s a lot of promise here.
So yes, the Blazers go down 1-0 in the series, with Game 2 coming Tuesday on the road again in San Antonio. But all things considered, it was an encouraging showing from Portland.
Deni Avdija led the way with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Scoot Henderson looked good as well with 18 points and continues to find his footing. From there, Portland got three more players with at least eight points. The offense still failed to crack 100, and that has been part of the story all season. At times, it can get stagnant. But overall, there was still a lot that felt promising in this performance.