Scoot Henderson poured in a season-best 31 points as the visiting Portland Trail Blazers came back from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to outlast the short-handed San Antonio Spurs 106-103 on Tuesday in Game 2 of the teams’ first-round Western Conference playoff series.
The Trail Blazers evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1 with Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday, respectively, in Portland.
“To have a game like that, in the playoffs against a great team like the Spurs, it’s something else,” Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter said of Henderson. “Not just offensively, but defensively. You know, he carried us, scored when we needed, got stops and really won the game for us.”
The contest and perhaps even the series changed its complexion at the 8:57 mark of the second period with the Trail Blazers up 34-32. San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama hit his face on the floor during a drive to the basket, leaving him dazed enough to struggle getting to his feet before jogging off the floor to the locker room. He was ruled out for the rest of the game with concussion protocol.
Wembanyama later was diagnosed with a concussion, leaving his status in question for Game 3. He is scheduled for further testing Wednesday.
“I just know he has a concussion, and he’s in the protocol, and we’ll obviously take the proper and appropriate steps,” San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said. “You know, it’s tough. That protocol is the protocol, so we’ll just follow it, as everyone else does, and plan accordingly.”
The Spurs carried a one-point lead into the fourth quarter but reeled off the first 13 points of the final period to build their advantage to 93-79. The Trail Blazers roared back to take the lead via a 7-0 run capped by a Jrue Holiday layup with 2:02 left.
Robert Williams III skied for a putback dunk that pushed Portland’s lead to 104-101 with 12 seconds remaining. Devin Vassell hit two free throws with 10.4 seconds left to draw to within a point before Toumani Camara answered with a pair from the charity stripe with 5.2 seconds to play.
Vassell had a chance to tie the game with a corner 3-pointer with 2 seconds left but the shot went in and out before falling to the floor, allowing the Trail Blazers to steal home-court advantage in the series.
“They’re physical,” Vassell said. “They got a lot of good guards who run on the ball and are physical on the ball. So late game execution, we just got to be better. Get into our spots, setting, you know, good screens, getting the matchups that we want.”
Holiday finished with 16 points for Portland, with Deni Avdija adding 14, Williams hitting for 11, Camara tallying 10 and Donovan Clingan taking 11 rebounds.
Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 18 points. De’Aaron Fox had 17, Vassell added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Dylan Harper and Luke Kornet scored 10 each.
Castle’s eight straight points fueled a 13-2 run that netted the Spurs a 28-27 advantage at the end of the first period.
Portland took advantage of Wembanyama’s absence to build a 40-34 lead with 6:45 to play in the second quarter. The Spurs responded with another surge, scoring 13 of the ensuing 15 points to go up 47-42. A three-point play and then a pair of free throws by Avdija allowed the Trail Blazers to tie the score 57-all at the break.
“We all got to step up,” Vassell said of potentially playing without Wembanyama. “We know what Vic brings to the table and we’ve played without him couple games this year. It’s just gonna be the next man up. We know everybody’s got to step up. That’s a huge void to fill.”
Henderson led all scorers with 19 points before halftime with Avdija adding a dozen for Portland. Castle’s 12 points paced the Spurs in the first half.
“I love the pressure, first and foremost,” Henderson said. “I love the pressure, whether I had the ball in my hands the whole game or not, but the role that I’m in right now, I’m just, I’m really doing whatever is best for my team. I’m like, we’re trying to win, so I’m not thinking too much about it but when I get the ball I try to attack, make a play, make something happen.”
–Field Level Media
