Blazers stun Spurs to even series after Wembanyama exits
Scoot Henderson scored 31 points as the Portland Trail Blazers capitalized after a frightening injury to Victor Wembanyama, rallying for a 106-103 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night to even their Western Conference playoff series at one game each.
Wembanyama was diagnosed with a concussion after falling face-first when he was fouled by Jrue Holiday, with his jaw striking the floor, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.
He did not return following the second-quarter injury and entered the NBA’s concussion protocol, raising the possibility that the versatile 7-foot-4 center could miss multiple games.
The second-seeded Spurs appeared poised to win without Wembanyama, building a 14-point advantage early in the fourth quarter before their offense stalled.
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Portland held San Antonio without a field goal over the final 3:37, closing the game on an 11-2 run. Robert Williams III completed an alley-oop dunk with 12 seconds remaining to give the Blazers a 104-101 lead after Deni Avdija powered through the lane and delivered the pass.
“As a team, as a unit, I think that was our goal — to be aggressive,” Henderson said. “Hit everybody that comes through the paint, box out and play fast. I think that was all of our success and that kind of opened the floor for all of us.”
Holiday finished with 16 points and nine assists, Avdija added 14, and Williams contributed 11.
Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 18 points, while De’Aaron Fox scored 17. Devin Vassell recorded 16 points and 12 rebounds but missed a 3-point attempt with 2 seconds remaining.
Game 3 is scheduled for Friday in Portland.
After scoring 35 points in the Spurs’ Game 1 victory, Wembanyama finished with five points, four rebounds, one block, and one assist in 12 minutes.
According to league guidelines, a player in concussion protocol must undergo at least 48 hours of rest and recovery, followed by a series of benchmarks without symptoms before being cleared. This includes neurological testing and final approval from a team physician in consultation with the league’s concussion protocol director.
The Spurs had previously won 76 consecutive playoff games when leading by 14 or more points in the fourth quarter. Their last loss in such a situation came on May 19, 2003, against Dallas.
San Antonio built its lead with a 13-0 run to begin the fourth quarter, highlighted by a reverse slam from backup center Luke Kornet for a three-point play.
Kornet ended the game with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Henderson shot 11-for-17 from the field, including 5-for-9 from beyond the arc.
“(Henderson) has been shooting the ball really well,” Vassell said. “Got to be more physical with him. No catch-and-shoots, no easy off-the-dribble pullups. I think he made ... I don’t know how many he made today. We’re going to make it a lot harder for him because he’s feeling way too comfortable.”
By Nijat Babayev
Similar news
