Wembanyama shines as Spurs open playoffs with win over Blazers

Victor Wembanyama scored 35 points to spark San Antonio’s 111-98 Game 1 win over Portland, setting a Spurs playoff debut scoring record and highlighting the young Spurs core (Castle, Vassell, Harper). The game also marked the first Spurs playoff without Gregg Popovich since 1999 and their first postseason win since 2019, while Portland’s Deni Avdija led the Blazers with 30 but got little help against San Antonio’s defense.