The San Antonio Spurs celebrated their return to the playoffs after seven long years with a dominant 111-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. More than 19,000 fans packed the Frost Bank Center for Game 1, including franchise icons Tim Duncan and David Robinson, who were there to witness the moment.
With those legends watching from the stands, Victor Wembanyama embraced the pressure. He later shared that their presence didn’t feel heavy at all. Instead, it gave him confidence knowing he had people around him to learn from and lean on.
“I wouldn’t say, weight, no,” Wembanyama answered. “I would say I feel safe. It feels like if you trip, you know there’s a lot of hands that are ready to catch you.”
Victor Wembanyama finished the night with 35 points on 61.9% from the field, setting a new Spurs record for most points in a playoff debut by surpassing Duncan’s 32-point game from 1998. He also added five rebounds and two blocks, helping San Antonio take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Victor Wembanyama begins playoffs with news regarding potential individual accolades
Victor Wembanyama had already taken over the internet even before the Blazers-Spurs game began. Earlier on Sunday, during the Orlando Magic-Detroit Pistons matchup, the NBA revealed the finalists for its end-of-season awards.
Before that game tipped off, the finalists for Defensive Player of the Year were announced. Wembanyama made the list alongside Chet Holmgren and Ausar Thompson. Then at halftime, his name came up again, this time as a finalist for Most Valuable Player. He joins Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, marking the fifth straight season in which all three MVP finalists are international players.
Wembanyama’s defensive numbers speak for themselves. He averaged 3.1 blocks and 1.0 steals per game, which puts him in a strong position to win Defensive Player of the Year.
The MVP race, though, feels like more of a long shot. His stat line of 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists is impressive, but Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic have put together even stronger cases. SGA averaged 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.6 assists, while Jokic delivered 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists, making them the clear favorites ahead of Wembanyama.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
