Wembanyama Double-Double Propels San Antonio Spurs to First NBA Playoff Series Win in Nine Years

The San Antonio Spurs ended a nine-year wait for an NBA playoff series victory on Tuesday, dispatching the Portland Trail Blazers 114-95 in Texas to seal a 4-1 first-round result. The win sends the Spurs, seeded second in the Western Conference, into the Conference semi-finals alongside top-seed Oklahoma City Thunder.

Victor Wembanyama was central to the outcome, recording 17 points, 14 rebounds, and six blocks — a performance that underlined why the French centre recently became the NBA’s first unanimous winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award. De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with a game-high 21 points, and six San Antonio players in total reached double figures on the night.

Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson reflected on the quality of his side’s display. “It was as sharp as we’ve been,” he said. Portland Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter offered a candid assessment of what his team faced. “[They are] a great basketball team,” Splitter said. “They have a superstar that changed the game. They deserve it.”

San Antonio built a lead of as many as 28 points during the contest, leaving little doubt about the eventual outcome. The Spurs will next face either the Denver Nuggets or the Minnesota Timberwolves, with the Timberwolves currently holding a 3-2 series lead.

In the Eastern Conference, Joel Embiid delivered a significant performance for the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring 33 points in a 113-97 victory at the Boston Celtics. The result reduces Philadelphia’s series deficit to 3-2, keeping their postseason campaign alive.

Embiid’s contribution was particularly notable given the circumstances. It was only his second game back following an emergency appendectomy on 9 April, yet the Cameroonian centre managed to impose himself decisively on the contest. “I found my rhythm in the second half,” Embiid said. “We adjusted some stuff at half-time and got a win. That’s all that matters. We’re going to need everybody to come back to Boston.”

Should the Sixers win Game 6 in Philadelphia on Thursday, the series will go to a deciding seventh game at second-seed Boston on Saturday. The winner of that series will advance to face either the New York Knicks or the Atlanta Hawks, with third-seed New York currently leading that series 3-2.

The Knicks strengthened their position with a commanding 126-97 home victory, driven by a 39-point showing from Jalen Brunson, 17 of which came in the fourth quarter. London-born forward OG Anunoby contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds in support. If Atlanta secure a win at home on Thursday, that series will also go to a deciding Game 7 in New York on Saturday.

The Spurs’ series victory marks a significant milestone for a franchise rebuilding around Wembanyama, the 21-year-old selected first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. San Antonio last won a playoff series in 2016, when they defeated the Memphis Grizzlies en route to the Conference semi-finals. Their return to that stage this season represents the clearest sign yet that the franchise’s rebuild is advancing ahead of schedule.