Wembanyama shines as San Antonio moves closer to qualifying

Thanks to their victory over Portland (93-114), San Antonio is nearing qualification. Victor Wembanyama returned after his concussion and the Frenchman shone.

He’s back and Victor Wembanyama once again showed his importance in the Spurs’ collective. Leading in the series against Portland, San Antonio wanted to secure a second consecutive victory on the Trail Blazers’ court to move closer to qualifying for the next round. Mission accomplished. With a stellar performance from Wemby (27 points, 11 rebounds, 7 blocks on 53% shooting), the Texan franchise completely dominated their opponent. Despite strong opposition, especially when Deni Avdija (26 points, 7 rebounds) and Jrue Holiday (20 points, 6 rebounds) led their team to a 17-point lead at halftime. A significant lead quickly wiped out by the Spurs and the Fox-Wembanyama duo.

Wemby reassures, San Antonio soars

“All the doctors, especially those of the Spurs, have been great. But the management of the situation by the NBA has been very disappointing.” While Wembanyama was frustrated not to have played the previous Spurs match, he greatly contributed to his franchise’s success in this game 4. Coming back from the locker room, the Spurs imposed a 13-0 run on the Blazers (58-54). Back in business, San Antonio also relied on their collective and De’Aron Fox. The Spurs’ point guard delivered a flawless performance: 28 points on 4/8 three-point shooting (65% shooting), 6 rebounds, 7 assists. At the end of the third quarter, the French interior tied the game (74-74) before breaking Portland. 12 points in the final quarter, a superior team performance – the Spurs outscored the Blazers 40-19 – and San Antonio confidently secured their third victory in the series (3-1). The next game will be played in two days on the court of Wembanyama’s teammates with a clear objective: to conclude this confrontation and potentially face Minnesota.

Boston dominates, Houston resists

On the Sixers’ court, Jayson Tatum’s crew had a blast. 34-18 in the first quarter with 13 points from the unstoppable Payton Pritchard. Leading scorer of the game with 32 points (6/12 from three-point range), the Celtics player dominated his matchup against the Embiid-Maxey-George trio. Boosted by Tatum’s 30 points (7 rebounds, 11 assists), the point guard and his franchise are only one win away from qualification.

The Lakers could have secured their qualification on Sunday night, but the Rockets put up a fight. Despite being largely behind in the series, Houston triumphed (115-96) with contributions from Amen Thompson (23 points, 7 assists), Tari Eason (20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals), and Alperen Sengun (19 points, 6 rebounds). On the other side, LeBron James, quiet with his 10 points and 9 assists, failed to lift his team, burdened by shooting failures: 0/3 from three-point range, 2/9 shooting, and 8 turnovers.

NBA / PLAYOFFS
– Toronto Raptors – Cleveland Cavaliers: 93-89 (2-2 in the series)
– Portland Trail Blazers – San Antonio Spurs: 93-114 (1-3 in the series)
– Philadelphia Sixers – Boston Celtics: 96-128 (1-3 in the series)
– Houston Rockets – Los Angeles Lakers: 115-96 (1-3 in the series)