Scoot Henderson ignites Portland's playoff hopes, shattering records with a career-defining playoff surge. His explosive scoring propels the Blazers forward.
Although Victor Wembanyama’s status remains the primary storyline in this Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs series, now tied 1-1, it’s important not to overlook the significance of the player drafted directly behind him in the 2023 NBA Draft. Scoot Henderson has etched his name into the Portland record books with 49 points through his first two playoff games, including a 31-point outburst in Game 2.
As up and down as Henderson’s first couple of seasons in the NBA have been, there’s no question he’s playing the best basketball of his career in the playoffs. It’s a great time for Portland to be getting that from him because, without his dominant performance in Game 2, the Blazers likely wouldn’t have won that game. In a tightly contested contest that came down to one possession, with the Spurs missing a game-tying three-point shot, Portland needed every single one of those 31 points from Henderson, which led all scorers.
And while it shouldn’t be expected that he scores at that level every single night, him becoming a legitimate complementary scoring piece alongside Deni Avdija opens things up for Portland. That’s especially true if he continues shooting the ball from behind the arc as well as he has been. After the game, Blazers coach Tiago Splitter gave his thoughts on Henderson’s emergence, and it goes without saying that carries weight considering he gets to see him every day in practice. It’s been cool to watch everything start to come together for Henderson.
“I don’t know if I have the words. Best game for him this season, maybe his career. He carried us,” Splitter said postgame.
From here, these teams will match up Friday night in Game 3 back in Portland at Moda Center, and the Blazers will have a real chance to take a 2-1 series lead.