Scoot Henderson and the Trail Blazers want to play a full-strength Victor Wembanyama

The series between the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs and the seventh-seeded Portland Trail Blazers has become quite competitive after Game 2. Scoot Henderson and the Blazers delivered a superb performance to tie it at one win apiece.

It came with a caveat because Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama exited the game early in the second quarter with a concussion. Now that he is sidelined with a concussion, the Blazers want Wemby to play as soon as possible.

Scoot Henderson and the Blazers want to play against a full-strength Spurs

After two competitive games, the Blazers are much better than most people realized before the series started. They are one of the most physical teams out there, and that is an area where the Spurs can make massive improvements.

They also have third-year guard Scoot Henderson playing the best basketball of his young NBA career. He is carrying them on offense, even more than All-Star forward Deni Avdija.

MORE: The Spurs announce Victor Wembanyama's injury status ahead of Game 3

The Spurs are the favorites to win this series, especially when Victor Wembanyama is healthy. However, the Blazers can win it if Wemby is absent. Despite the advantage they can get, Henderson and the Blazers seem focused on playing against the Spurs at their best.

"Not at all, continue to go downhill and be aggressive. That's our focus right now: get downhill. There are a lot of possessions on the floor when we have to just go... We hope he plays. We hope he's healthy, so we can go out there and compete," Henderson said ahead of Game 3 against the Spurs.

That is the right mindset from a young and plucky Trail Blazers team. Henderson is showing that he can be the team's best player in this series, and he wants to beat the Spurs at full strength as the real test for a young team.

More NBA news:

• Keldon Johnson celebrates his Sixth Man of the Year win
• Despite the award, Keldon Johnson admits that he had a rough year in his personal life
• De'Aaron Fox is unhappy with the referees after Game 2 against the Trail Blazers
• Scoot Henderson's amazing performance helps the Blazers pull off the upset
• NBA super-agent Rich Paul speaks about Victor Wembanyama's candidacy for being the NBA's face