De'Aaron Fox Seals Series as San Antonio Spurs Advance to Western Conference Semifinals (114-95) [4-1]

SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 114-95 and closed out their first-round playoff series 4-1. De'Aaron Fox took over in the fourth quarter with 13 of his 21 points, while Victor Wembanyama delivered another dominant performance to send San Antonio to the Western Conference Semifinals.

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San Antonio Spurs imposed their superiority from the opening tip and put the game away early. The Texas squad found their outside stroke, offensive rhythm, and aggressive defense that shut down Portland Trail Blazers throughout the first quarter. Julian Champagnie was one of the standouts in the opening period with 11 points and three three-pointers, leading the 36-24 advantage the hosts took into the first quarter break.

The decisive run came in the second quarter. A three-pointer from Victor Wembanyama made it 54-28 with 6:45 left before halftime and pushed the lead to insurmountable levels. Portland responded with nine straight points to cut into the deficit, but San Antonio answered with another devastating 12-2 run, capped by a three-point play from Luke Kornet, to extend their lead once again.

At halftime, San Antonio Spurs led 65-45 after shooting an excellent 66.7% from the field. Victor Wembanyama needed just three shots to score seven points in the first half, while De'Aaron Fox was orchestrating the game with seven assists before the break.

Portland Trail Blazers tried to mount a comeback after halftime, with Deni Avdija as their primary offensive weapon. The small forward finished with 22 points and kept the visitors competitive through stretches. However, San Antonio's lead never dipped below double digits in the third quarter.

Portland's last real chance came when a three-point play from Jrue Holiday brought them within 97-88 with 5:46 remaining. That's when De'Aaron Fox took over. The point guard strung together buckets and crucial plays on both ends of the floor to extinguish any comeback hopes and seal the Spurs victory.

Fox finished with 21 points and nine assists. Victor Wembanyama added 17 points, 14 rebounds, and six blocks in another complete performance, while Julian Champagnie contributed 19 points. Dylan Harper added 17 points, Stephon Castle chipped in 15 before fouling out, and Devin Vassell closed with 10.

For Portland Trail Blazers, besides Avdija, Jerami Grant scored 12 points, Robert Williams III and Sidy Cissoko each added 11, and Donovan Clingan finished with 10.

San Antonio Spurs reach the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season and will await their opponent from the Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves series in a Western Conference Semifinal that returns the Texas franchise to the competitive spotlight.