The Portland Trail Blazers have officially won their first playoff game since 2021, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 106-103 in a thrilling matchup on Tuesday night.
A win is a win, and the Blazers will take it. However, Victor Wembanyama went down in the second quarter with a scary head injury. Jrue Holiday “pulled the chair” as Wemby was attempting a spin move, and Wembanyama lost his balance, causing him to tumble without getting a chance to brace his fall. He appeared to fall unconscious briefly before, returning to the Spurs locker room in a daze. He would not return, and has been diagnosed with a concussion. More on the ramifications of that injury later.
The Blazers got behind in this game, but never down big. In the fourth quarter, it seemed as though hope was lost as the Spurs nursed an 8-point lead (which, against these Spurs can feel much larger) with less than four minutes to play. Portland collected themselves. Their game plan seemed simple: We should hit every shot now! They rallied their way back to a thrilling playoff comeback.
In the process Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday, and Toumani Camara looked like world beaters, coming up with big play after big play down the stretch. They also locked in defensively. Both teams looked like they wanted it, but the Blazers certainly looked like they wanted it more.
Scoot Henderson’s absurd play tonight can be best described by this tweet:
Henderson was decisive on offense, and an absolute terror on defense, both on- and off-ball.
Since his return some 50-games into the season, Scoot has continued to improve the mechanics on his jump shot, as well as his balance and control during bursty moves. The difference – beyond reps – is in his decision-making. During his first two seasons Scoot would find himself deep in the paint or along the baseline without a plan. This would often result in a turnover. When Scoot made a move tonight, there was no doubt what he intended to do. There were no wasted movements on his way to 31 points, on 11-17 shooting. This feat also made him the youngest player in the Trail Blazers’ history to record 30+ points in a playoff game.
In two playoff games, Scoot has posted 49 points on 18-38 from the field. Whew.
Henderson’s downhill presence tonight hearkened back to his pre-draft mythology, in which at one point he was described as “Russell Westbrook with a jumper” (thanks for the jinx, Kevin O’Connor). Tonight, though, he looked like Jrue Holiday with a vertical, using his strength and craftiness to muscle his way to the rim and hitting 5-9 from three.
Undoubtedly, this was the best game of Scoot’s career. He was under control, he was poised, and he looked like a star. If he can ever marry his scoring and his playmaking in the same contest, we may be looking at a special young player.
I hate the foul-when-up-three philosophy. First, it raises my blood pressure. Second, it doesn’t play into the Blazers’ strength as a team. I understand that it may be optimal, but optimality be damned in a playoff environment.
Part of being a coach is understanding the unique strengths of your team. The Blazers are an exceptionally tall and athletic squad, teeming with brilliant individual defenders. What the Blazers are not is a good free throw shooting team. With all love and respect to Toumani Camara — who hit two HUGE clutch free throws to seal the game — I felt pure terror when he went to the line. On the next possession, the Blazers were also scared enough to abandon the strategy entirely, opting to trust in their length to prevent a bucket. Lo and behold, Matisse Thybulle’s 96-foot wingspan made Devin Vassell’s life difficult. He forced a difficult corner three attempt and the Blazers won the game. Please, please, please, no more foul up three. For my health. For my family’s health.
Veteran Presence, or Lack Thereof
Jrue Holiday was fantastic down the stretch tonight. Robert Williams III looked similarly unflappable. Jerami Grant looked entirely flappable. The Blazers’ core of veterans certainly offers stability and consistency during stressful moments in the game.
Holiday is a stout ball handler, capable of navigating through traffic with poise and confidence. During clutch time situations, he is a port in a storm. Despite inefficient play early, Jrue hit shots when the Blazers needed them the most, as he’s done for the majority of the season. The two-time champion has demonstrated his value multiple times, but in a playoffs setting it becomes increasingly clear just how much his experience means. That said, it would be nice if he could hit just a couple more jumpers.
Jerami Grant, on the other hand, needs to figure it out. While he was the hero of the Play-In game against the Phoenix Suns, he has been an offensive liability against the Spurs. Any attempt at isolation has resulted in a miss, a tumble, or a miss followed by a tumble. The physicality and interior presence of the Spurs, with or without Wemby, limits Grant’s effectiveness inside. Grant has also struggled from beyond the arc. For the series he’s shot 1-5 from three and a combined 3-15 from the floor. Head Coach Tiago splitter has continued to play him for extended minutes, though, relying upon his defensive instincts to make up for the lack of offense. In 20 minutes, Grant posted 5 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal.
Returning to the other end of the veteran spectrum, Robert Williams was fantastic tonight. In 23 minutes, Williams had 11 points, 9 rebounds, and one game-saving dunk that made me stand up and yell really loud in my living room. Especially against a team as mobile and physical as the Spurs, Williams feels effective on the defensive end. Where starting big man Donovan Clingan may struggle to contain the explosive downhill drives of Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle, Williams has little trouble tracking ball handlers from the free throw line to the rim.
As reported by Shams Charania of ESPN, the head injury sustained by Wembanyama in the second quarter of tonight’s game resulted in a concussion. The time it takes to return from a concussion typically averages 7-10 days, depending on the severity and the team’s approach to treatment. Here’s hoping he returns soon, as there are few players more entertaining to watch in the league, and even fewer players with such a profound competitive fire.
On the court, this has massive implications for the Trail Blazers’ chances of winning. Much of the pre-series analysis focused on just how disturbing Wembanyama can be at the rim. He just won the league’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year Award. The way in which he can change the dynamic of the court is unmatched by any player in the history of the league. This is especially painful for players like Deni Avdija, who relies almost entirely on his ability to get into the paint.
With Wemby out, Avdija’s game once again opens up. Donovan Clingan’s game will open up. Shaedon Sharpe (who has been getting very few minutes in this series so far) can attack the rim with more fervor than before. The matchup has fundamentally changed
The Spurs are still a darn good ball club without Wembanyama. In 18 games sans Wemby, the Spurs went 12-6. Their depth is second only to Oklahoma Cityt. As I’m sure all Blazers fans are keenly aware of by now, Luke Kornet is a talented backup center, and can punish undisciplined defenses with his ability to make smart rolls and catch lobs. Portland will still need to be on their A-game if they want to be competitive.
The Blazers will host the Spurs for game three this Friday, at 7:30p.m. Pacific.’
(P.S.: When are we going to get Vit Krejci minutes?)