Dylan Harper scored 27 with 10 rebounds as the Spurs beat the Trail Blazers 105-95 to seize a 2-1 series lead without Victor Wembanyama.
San Antonio took a major step forward in the first-round series even with Victor Wembanyama watching from the bench, pushing the Spurs ahead 2-1 with a 105-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The headline was simple: no Wembanyama, no problem—at least not tonight.. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson had already told reporters before tip-off that the reigning Defensive Player of the Year would miss the game while recovering from a concussion suffered in Game 2.. For Portland. it was a golden chance to swing momentum on their first home playoff appearance since 2021; for San Antonio. it became a test of depth. identity. and resolve.
Portland looked ready to make the absence hurt early.. The Trail Blazers opened with control and built a lead that reached 15 in the third quarter. holding Portland’s fans on the edge as they moved in front 50-43 and kept their footing through the break at 65-59.. The game’s tone shifted late in the third when San Antonio refused to fold.. After Portland surged to an 82-67 advantage. the Spurs responded with a 21-5 run that left them up 88-87 entering the fourth.
Dylan Harper carried that transformation in the scoreboard and the glass.. He finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds, turning momentum into a cushion when the game mattered most.. His production didn’t just pad a stat line—it gave San Antonio a consistent option as the Spurs climbed back from a double-digit hole and started to dictate the pace of the final period.
Portland’s offense couldn’t find the same rhythm once the Spurs tightened their execution at the defensive end.. Midway through the fourth. Castle hit a step-back jumper and added to the separation with a pair of free throws. pushing San Antonio ahead 105-95.. From there. the Trail Blazers’ collapse looked sudden but familiar for teams that run into a late-game run they can’t answer—turnovers. missed shots. and possessions that ended short of the floor’s promise.
The personal side of the series also stood out.. Jrue Holiday led Portland with 29 points. doing the heavy lifting as the Spurs tried to keep their composure without their defensive centerpiece.. And while Portland stayed in the fight on pure star power for much of the evening. the numbers told a quieter story: once the Spurs began stringing stops together. Portland struggled to convert those moments into answers.
There were even disruptions beyond the scoring.. In the final moments of the first half. Fox was given an offensive foul for charging into the lane and elbowing Deni Avdija in the face.. Johnson challenged the call. and it was overturned—though the sequence still left a reminder of how physical this matchup has become. with Avdija continuing after chipping a tooth.
San Antonio also found support inside.. Luke Kornet started in Wembanyama’s absence and produced 14 points and 10 rebounds while Wembanyama watched from the bench.. That kind of output matters more than it sounds in a playoff context: when the opposing team removes a primary interior threat. it’s easy to assume the remaining pieces will adjust seamlessly.. Instead. playoff basketball forces organizations to win the “in-between” battles—boxing out. controlling second chances. and taking the right shot on a chaotic possession.
For Wembanyama, the immediate concern remains his recovery status.. He was injured during the Spurs’ 106-103 Game 2 loss in San Antonio. and Johnson offered limited details about his condition beyond that he was progressing.. With no definitive timetable shared for Sunday’s Game 4 at the Moda Center. the series now carries a new kind of uncertainty: San Antonio has proved it can win without him. but the story of the next game will be whether Portland can challenge that claim—or whether San Antonio’s next win will come with Wembanyama potentially back in the mix.