.jpg)
2 hours ago
3
Victor Wembanyama had 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks in his return from a concussion as the San Antonio Spurs took a 3-1 lead in their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers with a 114-93 victory.
De'Aaron Fox added 28 points for the Spurs, who will return home for Game Five on Tuesday night.
The Spurs announced about an hour before the game that Wembanyama, the 7ft 4in Defensive Player of the Year, would play after clearing the league's concussion protocol.
- Wembanyama, Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic named NBA MVP finalists
- Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract
- Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want
After the game, he indicated the way his return to play was handled and the concussion protocol was "very disappointing" but emphasised he was treated well by the Spurs' medical staff. He would not elaborate, saying he did not want to be a distraction and to "ask him at the end of the season".
Twitter This content is provided by Twitter, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Twitter cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options. Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Twitter cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Twitter cookies for this session only.
The Spurs trailed the Blazers by 17 points at the half, but the game was knotted at 74 going into the fourth quarter. Fox and Keldon Johnson hit back-to-back three-pointers to put the Spurs up 90-77 with seven minutes and 14 seconds left.
Johnson's dunk with four minutes 31 seconds remaining made it 101-81 for San Antonio and all but sealed the win.
"We need to find the answers before having our back against the wall," Wembanyama said about the second-half comeback.
"But that also shows the strength of our team in adversity. We stick together. We get closer to each other, we feed off of each other's energy."
Twitter This content is provided by Twitter, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Twitter cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options. Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Twitter cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Twitter cookies for this session only.
Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 26 points. There was a tense moment with 2:13 left when Avdija and Stephon Castle exchanged shoves. They were given offsetting technical fouls.
"You can be tough, you can be, you know, physical, but there's a level of disrespect that I'm not gonna accept," Avdija said about the dust-up.
Wembanyama sustained a concussion in the first half of San Antonio's 106-103 loss on Tuesday and was unavailable Friday night for Game Three. But the Spurs rallied in the third quarter and won 120-108 to take the series lead.
English (US)