Victor Wembanyama made a typically brilliant return to action as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers to move 3-1 ahead in their Western Conference first-round series.
Wembanyama had seven blocks and four steals to go with 27 points and 12 rebounds as the Spurs won 114-93 but failed to hide his frustration at being held out of Game 3 despite coming through the league’s concussion protocol.
“It’s special, obviously,” Wembanyama said in remarks reported by ESPN. “I had lots of emotions in me before the game, obviously, excitement, frustration. So, I let it all out today.”
Wembanyama held out of Game 3
The 22-year-old was desperate to play on Friday but didn’t receive the green light from the NBA until an hour before tip-off and was subsequently held out.
“I won’t get into the details,” he said. “I don’t want it to become a distraction. Ask me again after the season. All the doctors, especially on the Spurs, but the doctors all around, they were great, took great care of me. But the way the situation was handled was very disappointing. Not on the Spurs. But as I say, I won’t get into details.”
His return was predictably special, Wembanyama becoming the first player to log at least 25 points and five blocks in his first career postseason road game since 1973-74, when blocks became an official statistic.
His team-mate Devin Vassell said: “That’s Vic being the best player in the world and we know that he can do that. For him to be able to dominate both ends of the floor doesn’t even really come as a surprise anymore. You expect it. You expect that type of greatness from him and that’s what we need from him every game.”
San Antonio turn it around in second half
The Trail Blazers will be kicking themselves that they find themselves in a hole ahead of Game 5 in San Antonio tomorrow night. They led by 17 at half-time but a 0-13 run at the start of the third quarter saw the game get away from them.
“The games have unfolded in a way that would be pretty clear for us that you can’t tiptoe or go into a game with the wrong approach,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “On the road, it’s probably four or five times that in terms of where the game can slip away and that other team can ride some momentum. They’ve shown tremendous gall in the response of where we have been a few times in the second half in the last two games.”
Wembanyama is hoping Game 5 is a little less stressful. “We need to find the answers before having our backs against the wall,” he said. “But that also shows the strength of our team. In adversity, we stick together. We get closer to each other. We feed off each other’s energy.”
You Should Also Read
