Victor Wembanyama delivered a commanding performance on Wednesday, finishing with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks as the San Antonio Spurs closed out the Portland Trail Blazers, 114-95, in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. The Spurs never trailed, riding their rookie star’s presence to a third straight win and a ticket to the Western Conference semifinals.
De’Aaron Fox paced San Antonio with 21 points, Julian Champagnie added 19, and Dylan Harper chipped in 17. The Spurs built a 28-point cushion at one stage, ensuring there would be no return flight to Oregon.
“We didn’t want to go back to Portland,” Champagnie said. “That was all of the motivation we needed tonight.”
Spurs Return to Semis
San Antonio advances to the second round for the first time since 2017, when Kawhi Leonard’s ankle injury derailed a promising run. That collapse eventually led to Leonard’s departure and years of futility—years that positioned the Spurs to draft Wembanyama. On Wednesday, the 7-foot-4 Frenchman showed why he is already reshaping the franchise’s future.
Portland coach Tiago Splitter admitted the challenge of scheming against Wembanyama’s defense. “He can contest the 3 and the rim at the same time, basically,” Splitter said. “He’s going to create a lot of problems for a lot of teams for a long time.”
The Trail Blazers briefly threatened, trimming the deficit to 91-82 with eight minutes left after an 11-0 run. But San Antonio slammed the door, highlighted by Wembanyama swatting Deni Avdija’s floater into the crowd. Avdija led Portland with 22 points but went 1-for-6 from deep as the Blazers shot just 23% from long range. Scoot Henderson managed only five points, a quiet finish to a chippy series that included his skirmish with Harper in Game 3.
Blazing-Hot Start Propels Spurs
Coach Mitch Johnson emphasized the need for a fast start, and the Spurs delivered with a 17-4 burst fueled by Champagnie’s shooting. He finished 5-for-7 from beyond the arc, part of San Antonio’s 40% clip from distance. “It’s never perfect, of course, but that’s exactly what we said we wanted to do before the game,” Wembanyama said.
The Spurs now await the winner of the Denver Nuggets–Minnesota Timberwolves series. Minnesota leads 3-2, with Game 6 set for Friday. For San Antonio, the wait comes with momentum—and the unmistakable sense that Wembanyama has already changed the calculus in the West.
