PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers made clear their mission a day prior to tipoff. They wanted to be the most physical team in the gym.
“Who ever is the most physical,” Deni Avdija explained, “that team’s going to win.”
Coming off a Game 2 victory in which San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama suffered a concussion, Portland rode a high it hoped to replicate Friday night, especially after learning the Frenchman, navigating the NBA’s mandated concussion protocol, was out.
It didn’t account for the young players hoping to fill the 7-foot-4 hole.
Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper combined for 60 points in the Spurs’ 120-108 victory over the Trail Blazers that secured a 2-1 series lead. They became the second duo in NBA history, age 21 or younger, to each score 25-plus points in the same playoff game, joining Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook during their time with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“They were driving and kicking,” Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter said postgame. “They made shots. We tried to get to the rim, but we were not efficient. Not our best night.”