Portland and San Antonio meet again Friday night with the Western Conference first-round series tied 1-1, one day after the Trail Blazers edged the Spurs 106-103 in the last meeting. The game is set for Friday at 10:30 p.m. EDT in Portland, Oregon.
Scoot Henderson carried Portland in Wednesday’s win with 31 points, while Stephon Castle led San Antonio with 18 points. The result gave the Trail Blazers a split after two games and sent the series back to Portland with little margin separating two teams that have both already shown they can win possessions late.
The Spurs arrive with a better overall record, at 62-20 and second in the Western Conference, but Portland has kept pace in the matchup by doing two things well in conference play: the Trail Blazers are 29-23 against Western Conference opponents and are 16-9 when they finish with fewer turnovers than their opponents. That matters against a San Antonio team that has leaned on efficiency all season and has gone 36-16 against Western Conference competition.
There is also a clear stylistic edge for the Spurs on the glass and at the rim. San Antonio ranks seventh in the conference with 11.4 offensive rebounds per game, and Luke Kornet leads the club with 3.5 offensive boards per game. The Spurs are shooting 48.3% from the field this season and allow opponents to shoot 45.1%, numbers that line up with their strong recent form. Over their last 10 games, the Spurs are 7-3, averaging 120.6 points, 47.6 rebounds, 28.3 assists, 7.7 steals and 5.0 blocks while shooting 48.8% from the floor. Their opponents have averaged 111.7 points in that span.
Portland will try to answer with balance and ball pressure. The Trail Blazers are shooting 45.3% from the field this season, while opponents have shot 47.1% against them. Portland averages 16.5 turnovers per game, and limiting that number has been a key to winning close games. The Trail Blazers are 6-4 in their last 10, putting up 112.3 points, 44.5 rebounds, 24.3 assists, 9.0 steals and 6.1 blocks per game while shooting 45.1%. Their opponents have averaged 106.8 points over that stretch.
Deni Avdija has been the most complete player in Portland’s attack, averaging 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists. Jrue Holiday is averaging 18.0 points over the last 10 games, and Damian Lillard is out for the season with an Achilles injury. Jordan McLaughlin is day to day with an ankle injury, while David Jones Garcia is out for the season with an ankle injury. On the San Antonio side, Victor Wembanyama is scoring 25.0 points per game and averaging 11.5 rebounds, and Julian Champagnie is hitting 2.1 3-pointers per game over the last 10. Wembanyama is also day to day in concussion protocol, leaving his status uncertain for Friday, and Harrison Barnes is day to day with a wrist injury.
That uncertainty gives Game 3 its edge. Portland already proved Wednesday that it can survive a possession game with San Antonio, but the Spurs’ season-long scoring, rebounding and shooting numbers still make them the more dangerous team if their key frontcourt piece is available. If Wembanyama plays, the series tilts back toward San Antonio’s power; if he does not, the Trail Blazers have shown enough to believe they can make Friday look a lot like Wednesday.
