The Portland Trail Blazers’ first playoff appearance since the 2020-21 season was a valiant effort, but it wasn’t enough to match the dominance of Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. The 2025-26 Most Valuable Player Award finalist delivered a historic performance that not only etched his name in NBA history but also led the Spurs to an 111-98 victory in Game One. On the other side, Deni Avdija put on a show with 30 points and 10 rebounds, making his performance equally impressive. Here’s what stood out from the game:
Too Much “Wembanyama Drama”
It just so happens that Portland will get the first opportunity at answering this question, but across the Western Conference, potential title contenders will be forced to ask themselves one identical question: How on Earth are we going to contain Victor Wembanyama?
The Blazers made every attempt to find a solution. They started with the talented Toumani Camara, whose energetic efforts sometimes kept the Spurs’ superstar away from his usual spots. Inevitable switches allowed six-time All-Defensive Teamer Jrue Holiday a chance, and his quick hands and low center of gravity occasionally worked. Jerami Grant, Donovan Clingan, and Robert Williams III were among the others who tried their best.
In the grand scheme of things, those efforts didn’t matter much; Wembanyama scored 21 points in the first two quarters — a first-half record for an NBA playoff debut — looking every bit the part with fellow Alamo greats Tim Duncan and David Robinson in attendance.
The only bright spot was that Deni Avdija wasn’t far behind, with his 19 opening-half points leaving him just one shy of tying that exact same record. And speaking of…
No. 8’s Search For a No. 2
Any Blazers fan who took note of the first half’s box score likely found one statistic difficult to ignore: Avdija had seven made field goals and the aforementioned 19 points. The rest of the starters? Four combined field goals — one each — for 10 points.
And somehow, the Blazers only found themselves behind by 10. The “Robin” to Avdija’s “Batman” varies on a night-by-night basis, but it took quite some time — perhaps, a fraction too long — to determine who that No. 2 scorer might be.
Shaedon Sharpe showed flashes, but 10 points on 13 shot attempts won’t cut it. At other times, it appeared Williams III was “the guy,” but a franchise should consider itself in a difficult situation if that’s the secondary scorer.
It was inspiring to see Scoot Henderson eventually assume the role; in between his defiant, determined scowl, he continued the inspiring scoring stretch that helped rewrite the story arc of his 2025-26 season. 11 of his efficient 18-point scoring run arrived in the second half, in which the Blazers, remarkably, had chances to actually take the lead.
The Game’s Turning Point
During the second half of NBC’s broadcast, Hall of Famer Reggie Miller remarked that Portland didn’t necessarily need to be an elite 3-point shooting team — merely one that hit on timely attempts. It simply wasn’t meant to be for a team whose accuracy fluctuates from flickering-hot to ice-cold within an eye’s blink.
The Blazers are playing with “house money,” as underdogs, but they’re likely to remember the third quarter’s 8:46 mark, in which they had four different chances to either tie or take the lead. What followed? Three turnovers in quick succession and a missed 3-pointer; a culmination of some of their worst tendencies at the worst time.
A triple from Julian Champagnie sparked 2014-like vibes. Longtime Blazers fans will remember that series; buoyed by their home crowd, the Spurs followed with a 26-11 run that created enough distance that kept Portland in a “close-but-yet-too-far” scoreboard scenario the rest of the way.
Game Two’s Outlook
Portland has long proven itself to be the type of team that — regardless of the deficit — will remain undaunted in their fight. One wrinkle to watch will come in how they tinker with matchups to guard the Spurs’ many weapons.
Game One’s likely-to-be-discussed story will talk about their decision to have 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan basically guard his collegiate teammate Stephon Castle — a 6-foot-6 guard — on the perimeter. In theory, it makes sense; though he’s an improved shooter, Portland would probably much rather deal with a Castle pull-up than something Wemby-related.
In Game Two, do they adjust, and allow the others to “get theirs,” so long as Wembanyama doesn’t become a gamebreaker on the box score?
Quickly glimpsing at the box score, it’s likely that Portland gets improved play from Jerami Grant in Game Two; in 19 minutes, he had a -25 plus-minus. The same goes for Jrue Holiday, a proven postseason performer too talented to repeat his offensive performance in Game One (4-of-15, though with a game-best 11 assists).
Finding that secondary scorer for Avdija earlier could be key to a Game Two upset, but for Portland, that’ll have to wait until Tuesday, Apr. 21, as the two teams meet up again on NBC Peacock at 5 PM PT.
