The Portland Trail Blazers will travel to take on the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night at Frost Bank Center for Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. San Antonio enters this matchup with a 3-1 series lead and a chance to close things out at home, while Portland is facing elimination. With the Blazers’ season on the line, this is a win-or-go-home game for a team trying to extend its playoff run.

The momentum in this series is firmly with the Spurs. Portland has had double-digit leads in each of the last two games and let both slip away, turning what could have been a very different series into a 3-1 deficit. Realistically, the Blazers could be tied 2-2 right now, if not ahead in the series, but their inability to close games has put them on the brink.

Now, the challenge gets even tougher with Victor Wembanyama back from concussion protocol. He returned in Game 4 and is expected to be back on the floor again for Game 5, giving San Antonio its defensive anchor and franchise centerpiece in a potential closeout game. His presence changes everything, especially against a Portland team that has already had issues generating consistent offense in the half court.

For the Blazers, this is about finding a way to finish. They have shown they can compete with San Antonio, build leads and put themselves in position to win. But none of that matters if they cannot execute late, protect the ball and get enough offense in the biggest moments. This could be the final game of Portland’s season, or it could be the kind of road win that sends the series back to Portland and keeps the Blazers alive.

Following this contest, the Trail Blazers will either see their season come to an end or return home for Game 6 with a chance to continue fighting in the series.