Most first-time NBA playoff runs are kaleidoscopes for the promise to come. Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls were 38-44 when they hit the 1985 bracket. The likes of Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett and Kevin Durant also took opening-round Ls in their postseason intros. LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers won 50 games ahead of the 2006 playoffs, but they were still a No. 4 seed with clear limitations.
Victor Wembanyama’s entrance feels markedly different.
His San Antonio Spurs are undeniable contenders at 62-20, going 24-4 after the All-Star break. They went 4-1 against the defending champions, too. San Antonio begins its title quest against the Portland Trail Blazers, a stout and lively underdog. All seven potential broadcasts are laid out below, sprinkled with head-to-head results and historic series. Come aboard the flying saucer.
How to watch No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 7 Portland Trail Blazers
Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.
GameDateTime (ET)TVStream
1: @ SA
Sun., April 19
9 p.m.
NBC
Peacock
2: @ SA
Tue., April 21
8 p.m.
NBC
Peacock
3: @ POR
Fri., April 24
10:30 p.m.
Prime Video
Prime Video
4: @ POR
Sun., April 26
3:30 p.m.
ESPN
5*: @ SA
Tue., April 28
TBD
TBD
TBD
6*: @ POR
Thu., April 30
TBD
TBD
TBD
7*: @ SA
Sat., May 2
TBD
TBD
TBD
* if necessary
NBC is free over the air. ESPN is also available with an ESPN Unlimited subscription.
What to know about the Spurs
Wembanyama leads an absolute wagon into playoff action. Mitch Johnson coaches a sleek, disciplined and balanced team that celebrates self-fashioned “ethical basketball.” The Spurs get to the rim, box out and glide off the ball. None of it takes from their defensive commitment, either.
De’Aaron Fox made his second All-Star bid as a full-court commander. Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie each splashed about 2.5 3s on 38 percent clips. Stephon Castle, last season’s Rookie of the Year, bumped his numbers up to 16.7 points and 7.4 assists per game. Dylan Harper, No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft, made more than half of his shot attempts as an efficient bench bucket.
Harrison Barnes brings championship experience from his days with the Golden State Warriors. Keldon Johnson steadies the squad as a seven-year Spur and qualified sixth man. He also owns a ranch, with llamas and everything.
It’s all in orbit of Wembanyama — rim-warping defender, physics-defying highlight reel. Here’s where his journey formalizes and his will gets tested.
These Spurs are precociously young and green in the postseason, but they do have a five-time champion in their building. Longtime head coach Gregg Popovich, who retired last year after he suffered a stroke, spoke with the team this week as the Spurs prepared for the playoffs.
What to know about the Blazers
Despite a crowded and competitive Western Conference, and despite their head coach being arrested by the feds, the Blazers finished at a respectable 42-40. Portland then beat the Phoenix Suns — on the road, down double digits in the fourth quarter — to escape the Play-In Tournament. Deni Avdija led the rally with 41 points on 15-for-22 shooting.
Interim coach Tiago Splitter has the Blazers committed to a distinct identity. They led the NBA in second-chance scoring, paced by Donovan Clingan and his league-best 4.5 offensive boards per game. They play aggressive, end-to-end defense, which is set off by Toumani Camara. A 2023 second-round pick by the Suns, Camara has risen to Fred Katz’s All-Perimeter-Defense second team. He’ll cover all 94 feet in Portland’s upset bid.
Offense originates in the high motor of Avdija, but 22-year-old ascendant Shaedon Sharpe is a capable scorer as well at 20.8 points per game. Well-traveled pros Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant are still effective in support, while 2023 No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson can microwave sets.
The Blazers are ahead of schedule, and they play hard regardless of circumstance. But they arrive vastly outmatched — 19th in plus-minus compared to the Spurs at No. 2.
Head-to-head matchups this season
The Spurs won two of three contests. They handled an NBA Cup game in Portland back on Nov. 26; Wembanyama and Holiday were out for their respective teams. They also beat the Blazers in San Antonio on April 8 — no Wembanyama after a scary rib contusion, while the visitors played without Sharpe.
Portland’s win came Jan. 3, on the road and sans Grant. Once again, the sky-scraping Wemby was on the shelf. As a result, Game 1 will be his first minutes against this season’s Blazers.
Avdija was on fire across those three regular-season matchups. He averaged 31.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and eight assists on 54.8/52.9 percent splits. Fox was great as well, with 27 points per game and 19 total dimes to seven turnovers.
Spurs vs. Blazers playoff history
San Antonio has won three of the four postseason matchups between these two. Portland took the first meeting, a second-round banger in 1990. The Blazers won Game 5 in double overtime, then edged out the Spurs in an OT Game 7. Terry Porter was the star of that final game with 36 points and nine assists.
The Spurs claimed the next three series. David Robinson’s 20/17/11 triple-double sealed Portland’s elimination in the opening draw of 1993. Sean Elliott’s “Memorial Day Miracle” highlighted a conference finals sweep in 1999. An elder Tony Parker and a rising Kawhi Leonard fronted San Antonio’s second-round rout in 2014.
The Spurs went on to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy after those last two series victories over Portland.
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