{"id":706279,"date":"2026-04-09T02:09:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T02:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/706279\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T02:09:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T02:09:25","slug":"spurs-announce-starting-lineup-vs-blazers-after-victor-wembanyama-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/706279\/","title":{"rendered":"Spurs Announce Starting Lineup Vs. Blazers After Victor Wembanyama News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"San\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 01: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs stands on the court during their game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on April 01, 2026 in San Francisco, California. <\/p>\n

The San Antonio Spurs<\/a> are playing the Portland Trail Blazers<\/a> on Wednesday, April 8, at 8:30 pm CST on ESPN in a game that, based on the latest Victor Wembanyama<\/a> injury update, will not feature the NBA<\/a> superstar.<\/p>\n

Wembanyama suffered a rib injury in the Spurs\u2019 previous game against the Philadelphia 76ers<\/a>, and while it isn\u2019t considered a serious issue, the French center has been ruled out for the game.<\/p>\n

Before San Antonio\u2019s tipoff against Portland, the team announced its starting lineup<\/a> and final injury report<\/a> for Wednesday.<\/p>\n

San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup Vs. Trail Blazers\"San<\/p>\n

GettySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA \u2013 APRIL 01: De\u2019aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball against the Golden State Warriors<\/a> at Chase Center on April 01, 2026 in San Francisco, California.<\/p>\n

In the lead-up to the Wednesday night game, the Spurs took to social media to announce their starting lineup against the Trail Blazers.<\/p>\n

De\u2019Aaron Fox<\/a>, Dylan Harper<\/a>, Julian Champagnie<\/a>, Devin Vassell<\/a>,\u00a0and Luke Kornet<\/a> all got the nod as starters by Mitch Johnson and the team\u2019s coaching staff.<\/p>\n

Along with not having Wembanyama, San Antonio is without another key contributor for the game, so this is the lineup they\u2019ll have to go with against Portland.<\/p>\n

Harper hasn\u2019t been a typical starter for the team in his rookie year, but with the injuries, he\u2019s seeing an elevated role<\/a> for this game.<\/p>\n

This is not a starting group the Spurs have used this season, but as their fate as the second seed in the Western Conference<\/a> is all but confirmed, staying healthy and ramping up for the playoffs is all that matters for the top-ranked team in Texas.<\/p>\n

Victor Wembanyama Injury Update And End-Of-Season Awards Status\"Victor<\/p>\n

GettySAN ANTONIO, TX \u2013 APRIL 6: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs grabs his left arm after an injury during game against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first half at Frost Bank Center on April 6, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. Wembanyama stayed in the first half but did not return to play in the second half.<\/p>\n

Wembanyama is sitting out on Wednesday for the ESPN game due to the rib injury he suffered on Monday.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

While there were initial concerns about the injury being a serious concern, recent updates have somewhat quieted any speculation that the superstar is set to be sidelined for an extended period.<\/p>\n

While he\u2019s ruled out against the Trail Blazers, Wembanyama needs to play in at least one more<\/a> of the Spurs\u2019 final two games of the regular season to qualify for end-of-season awards. He has been a top MVP candidate<\/a> and is a shoo-in for the Defensive Player of the Year and the All-NBA first-team if he does hit the 65-game mark.<\/p>\n

In good news for the Spurs, however, is that Wembanyama is expected to play<\/a> in at least one of the team\u2019s two last games of the year, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.<\/p>\n

Reporting for ESPN NBA Countdown on San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama\u2019s health and ramp up to his first postseason: <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s confidence that Victor Wembanyama will be able to play at least one of these final two games as soon as Friday,\u201d\u00a0Charania said on NBA Countdown<\/a>. \u201cRight now, he is day to day\u2026 he needs to play at least 20 minutes in one more game, and the Spurs are very confident that he\u2019ll be able to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with him, Stephon Castle<\/a> has been ruled out for Wednesday against the Blazers. The second-year guard quickly on the rise is dealing with right knee soreness<\/a>, and is being rested for the game.<\/p>\n

The Spurs are currently second in the West with a 60-19 record, likely to be the second seed in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. The only way they could clinch the top seed is if they win out and the \u00a0Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> lose the final three games of their season, which remains an unlikely scenario.<\/p>\n

With four game days remaining in the regular season, 18 of the 20 postseason teams have yet to clinch their seed.<\/p>\n

Seeding possibilities entering Wednesday \u2b07\ufe0f <\/p>\n

The San Antonio Spurs vs Portland Trail Blazers game tips off at 8:30 pm CST on ESPN.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tEli Gregorski<\/a> is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Spurs\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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