San Antonio Spurs win in Victor Wembanyama’s return to take 3-1 lead over Portland Trail Blazers in NBA play-offs
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Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs dunking the ball during their 114-93 NBA win over the Portland Trail Blazers on April 26, when the Spurs took a 3-1 lead in their play-off series.
PHOTO: AFP
LOS ANGELES – Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox led the way as the visiting San Antonio Spurs erased a 19-point deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 114-93, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in their National Basketball Association (NBA) best-of-seven play-off series on April 26.
Wembanyama, back after missing Game 3 because of a concussion he sustained in Game 2, scored 27 points with 12 rebounds, three assists, four steals and seven blocks.
“I had lots of emotions in me before the game, obviously,” said the 22-year-old, who was named the 2026 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and is in the running for Most Valuable Player.
“Excitement, frustration, so I let it all out tonight,” the Frenchman added.
He praised the doctors who oversaw his path through the NBA concussion protocol, but voiced dissatisfaction with the process that requires a gradual return to physical activity under medical supervision.
“The way the situation was handled was very disappointing,” Wembanyama said, declining to elaborate.
Fox led all scorers with 28 points, as the Spurs outscored the Trail Blazers 73-35 in the second half to move within one win of making the Western Conference semi-finals.
They will try to clinch the series when they host Game 5 on April 28 (April 29 morning, Singapore time).
Wembanyama believes they need to get off to a better start in the next game, saying: “We need to find the answers before having our backs against the wall. 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.”
Deni Avdija scored 26 points and Jrue Holiday added 20 for the Trail Blazers, but they were the only Portland starters who scored in the second half.
In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics crushed the hosts Philadelphia 76ers 128-96 to take a 3-1 lead in their series and get a chance to close it out at home on April 28.
Payton Pritchard scored 32 points off the bench and Jayson Tatum added 30 points with seven rebounds and 11 assists for the visitors, who led by 16 points after the first quarter and by double digits the rest of the way.
Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 26 points and 10 rebounds in his first game since an emergency appendectomy on April 9. Tyrese Maxey contributed 22 points but his team could not counter the Celtics’ rain of 24 three-pointers.
In Toronto, Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram scored 23 points apiece as the Raptors mounted a late charge to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-89 and tie their series at 2-2.
In Houston, the Rockets routed the Los Angeles Lakers 115-96 to stay alive in their series, as the Lakers hold a 3-1 lead. AFP
