SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Victor Wembanyama and most of his San Antonio teammates will make their playoff debut Sunday against Portland.<\/p>\n
>> Watch KSAT Sports Now\u2019s Race for Seis special at 5:30 p.m. Sunday on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus and streaming in this article.<\/p>\n
Much has been made of the lack of playoff experience on San Antonio\u2019s youthful roster, but the Spurs actually have a ton of postseason knowledge to lean on.<\/p>\n
It comes in the form of postseason appearances by veteran players like De\u2019Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes, Luke Kornet, Bismack Biyombo and Kelly Olynyk, and staff like associate head coach Sean Sweeney and assistants Corliss Williamson and Rashard Lewis.<\/p>\n
But the greatest source of information and inspiration comes from the franchise\u2019s iconic leader, Gregg Popovich.<\/p>\n
A fixture at the Spurs practice facility while he continues to rehabilitate from a stroke suffered Nov. 2, 2024, Popovich addressed the team earlier this week.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Popovich said) just to be us, not to really do anything different from what we\u2019ve been doing all season,\u201d San Antonio guard Stephon Castle said. \u201cHe gave us another perspective on how well we\u2019ve been playing and the position we\u2019ve put ourselves in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sound advice for a team that finished with the league\u2019s second-best record at 62-20 and won the Southwest Division for the first time since 2017.<\/p>\n
Still, no amount of advice can replace action, but the Spurs are eager for their first playoff series since 2019.<\/p>\n
Deni Avdija had 41 points and 12 assists as the Trail Blazers rallied to beat the Phoenix Suns 114-110 on Tuesday to earn the seventh seed.<\/p>\n
San Antonio veteran Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie are in the postseason for the first time after playing through all or most of six seasons of futility.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe and KJ are super excited,\u201d said Vassell, who is in his fifth season. \u201cWe\u2019ve been talking about it over and over, even were talking about it this morning. It\u2019s just good to be in this position, not only just for us, but for the community and for the fans that\u2019s been here and kind of waiting. Its been a long time, overdue, but we\u2019re here and ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wembanyama (22), Castle (21), Champagnie (24) and Vassell (25), Dylan Harper (20) and Carter Bryant (20) lead an energetic and athletic roster that finished third in both offensive and defensive efficiency.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think there is anything as far as in the basketball realm that I think we\u2019re nervous about,\u201d Fox said. \u201cObviously, people talk about experience and all those things, whatever it may be, we\u2019ve to go out there and play basketball and I think we have an extremely good basketball team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Welcome Back<\/p>\n
Portland coach Tiago Splitter played five seasons in San Antonio beginning in 2010, including being a key reserve on the Spurs\u2019 2014 championship team.<\/p>\n
Splitter, Manu Ginobili, Boris Diaw and Patty Mills established the team\u2019s \u201cCoffee Gang,\u201d primarily made of Spurs reserves who spent a lot of time on the road drinking coffee and having lunch together.<\/p>\n
As deep as their friendships are, Splitter knows those bonds only go so far when it comes to who Ginobili and Diaw will cheer for in this series.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there is a romantic feeling about it, but that\u2019s it,\u201d Splitter told reporters. \u201cManu is Spurs for sure. Boris, we\u2019ll see. I got to invite him for a couple glasses of wine.\u201d<\/p>\n
On a Run<\/p>\n
San Antonio is 10-0 at home against Portland in the postseason, including arguably the most impactful victory in franchise history.<\/p>\n
The Spurs exorcised a history of postseason futility with what is now known as the \u201cMemorial Day Miracle\u201d in Game 2 of the 1999 Western Conference Finals on May 31 at the Alamodome.<\/p>\n
After trailing by 18 points, San Antonio rallied to win on Sean Elliott\u2019s 3-pointer. Elliott tiptoed the sideline, spinning on his toes and keeping his heels elevated to avoid stepping out of bounds to drain a 3-pointer that proved to be the game-winning shot.<\/p>\n
San Antonio went on to sweep the series and win its first of five NBA championships.<\/p>\n
Turnover Prone<\/p>\n
Portland averaged 17.3 turnovers while committing 1,417, the most in the league this season.<\/p>\n
All Good<\/p>\n
San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson became a little superstitious when reminded that the Spurs enter the postseason healthy after battling minor injuries in the final weeks of the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got to,\u201d Johnson said, rapping a knuckle to his forehead because there was no wood within arm\u2019s reach to knock on.<\/p>\n
Wembanyama missed three of the team\u2019s final seven games after suffering a left rib contusion during the first half of San Antonio\u2019s 115-102 victory over Philadelphia on April 6.<\/p>\n
Castle missed two of the final three games with right knee and left foot soreness.<\/p>\n
Harper injured his left thumb and did not play in the fourth quarter of a 128-118 loss to Denver in its regular-season finale on April 12.<\/p>\n
All three will play in the series opener Sunday.<\/p>\n
Top Secret<\/p>\n
Wembanyama did not play against Portland this season, battling ankle and rib injuries as San Antonio won the season series 2-1.<\/p>\n
Considering the Trail Blazers have not seen Wembanyama during the best of his three seasons in the NBA, the Frenchman was jokingly asked if he could be the Spurs secret weapon in this series.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best kept secret,\u201d Wembanyama said, laughing afterward.<\/p>\n
AP Sports Writer Raul Dominguez contributed to this report.<\/p>\n