The Portland Trail Blazers evened their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night with a dramatic 106-103 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2, overcoming both a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit and the shocking early exit of Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.
Scoot Henderson delivered a breakout postseason performance, scoring 31 points on 11-of-17 shooting and knocking down five three-pointers, as Portland seized control late and stole home-court advantage back from the second-seeded Spurs. The series is now tied 1-1 heading into Game 3 in Portland on Friday.
The game’s turning point came in the second quarter when Wembanyama—coming off a 35-point explosion in Game 1—went down hard after being fouled by Jrue Holiday. The 7-foot-4 center fell face-first, with his jaw striking the floor. He left the game and was later diagnosed with a concussion, entering the NBA’s concussion protocol.
Under league rules, Wembanyama must remain symptom-free through a series of evaluations and neurological tests before being cleared, raising the possibility that he could miss multiple games.
Before exiting, he finished with just five points, four rebounds, one block, and one assist in 12 minutes—far below his dominant Game 1 standard.
Despite losing their franchise centerpiece, the Spurs appeared poised to take a commanding 2-0 series lead. They erupted early in the fourth quarter with a 13-0 run, building a 14-point advantage and pushing their historical playoff record to 76 straight wins when leading by that margin or more in the fourth.
Backup center Luke Kornet helped fuel the surge, finishing a sequence with a reverse slam and three-point play. He ended the night with 10 points and nine rebounds.
But Portland refused to fade.
The Blazers locked in defensively, holding San Antonio without a field goal for the final 3:37 of the game. That defensive stand fueled an 11-2 closing run that flipped the game on its head.
A pivotal moment came with 12 seconds remaining when Robert Williams III finished an alley-oop from Deni Avdija to give Portland a 104-101 lead. Avdija muscled his way into the paint to create the opportunity and finished with 14 points, while Williams added 11 points and provided key interior defense throughout the second half.
Robert Williams III delivered one of the game’s biggest plays at the rim, while Deni Avdija contributed steady two-way production that helped Portland stabilize late.
Holiday added 16 points and nine assists in a strong all-around effort.
San Antonio still had chances down the stretch. Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 18 points, while De’Aaron Fox added 17. Devin Vassell posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, but missed a potential game-tying three-pointer with two seconds left.
Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox carried stretches of offense, but the Spurs’ attack stalled without Wembanyama’s spacing and interior presence.
Game 3 shifts to Portland, where momentum now clearly favors the Trail Blazers after stealing a road win in a hostile environment.
For San Antonio, the focus immediately turns to Wembanyama’s health. His availability could reshape the remainder of the series—and possibly determine whether the Spurs can recover from a devastating swing in Game 2.
