Trail Blazers Rally Past Spurs 106-103 After Wembanyama Leaves With Concussion/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Scoot Henderson scored 31 points as the Portland Trail Blazers rallied past the San Antonio Spurs 106-103 in Game 2. San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama exited early with a concussion after a frightening fall in the second quarter and did not return. Portland closed the game on an 11-2 run to even the Western Conference first-round playoff series at 1-1.
Scoot Henderson delivered a huge playoff performance Tuesday night, scoring 31 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a dramatic 106-103 comeback victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
The win evened the Western Conference first-round playoff series at one game apiece after San Antonio dominated Game 1 behind Victor Wembanyama.
Portland looked headed for a second straight loss after falling behind by 14 early in the fourth quarter.
Instead, the Trail Blazers locked down defensively and finished with an 11-2 closing run to steal home-court momentum before the series shifts to Oregon.
It was one of the biggest playoff collapses San Antonio has suffered in years.
The biggest moment of the game came in the second quarter when Spurs star Victor Wembanyama suffered a frightening injury.
Wembanyama was fouled by Jrue Holiday while attacking the basket and tumbled face-first to the floor, with his jaw slamming hard against the court.
The 7-foot-4 star immediately left the game and did not return.
He was later diagnosed with a concussion and entered the NBA’s concussion protocol.
That raises the possibility he could miss multiple games depending on how quickly he clears medical benchmarks.
After dominating Game 1 with 35 points, Wembanyama finished Game 2 with just five points, four rebounds, one assist, and one block in only 12 minutes.
His absence changed the entire tone of the game.
Even after losing Wembanyama, San Antonio looked ready to protect home court.
The second-seeded Spurs opened the fourth quarter with a powerful 13-0 run and built a 14-point lead.
Backup center Luke Kornet helped fuel that stretch, finishing a reverse slam for a three-point play that energized the home crowd.
Kornet ended the night with 10 points and nine rebounds while helping fill the huge void left by Wembanyama.
San Antonio’s defense and transition play looked strong enough to carry them to a 2-0 series lead.
But the offense completely stalled late.
That opened the door for Portland’s comeback.
Portland took full advantage of the Spurs’ late struggles.
The Trail Blazers held San Antonio without a field goal for the final 3 minutes and 37 seconds of the game.
That defensive stop after stop created the momentum for the comeback.
Robert Williams III delivered the biggest basket of the night with 12 seconds left, converting an alley-oop dunk for a 104-101 lead.
The play started when Deni Avdija attacked through the paint and found Williams above the rim.
It was the first lead Portland had late enough to truly seize control.
The Blazers never gave it back.
Henderson’s scoring and pace were central to Portland’s success.
He shot 11-for-17 from the field and 5-for-9 from three-point range, consistently creating problems for San Antonio’s defense.
His aggression helped open the floor for the rest of the team.
His confidence and shot-making gave Portland the offensive engine it needed to survive the road environment.
Portland also got key support from several important contributors.
Jrue Holiday finished with 16 points and nine assists while helping manage the offense and defend key possessions.
Deni Avdija added 14 points and played a major role in the late game-winning sequence.
Williams finished with 11 points, including the decisive alley-oop dunk.
The balanced effort helped offset San Antonio’s physical frontcourt and allowed Portland to survive despite early struggles.
This was the type of complete team performance Portland needed after falling behind in the series.
Stephon Castle led San Antonio with 18 pointswhile De’Aaron Fox added 17.
Devin Vassell finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds, but his missed 3-pointer with two seconds remaining ended the Spurs’ final comeback attempt.
San Antonio’s late collapse was especially shocking because of its playoff history.
The Spurs had won 76 straight postseason games when leading by 14 points or more in the fourth quarter.
The last time they lost under those circumstances was May 19, 2003, against Dallas.
That streak is now over.
It made the defeat even more painful.
After the game, Vassell made it clear Portland’s biggest adjustment must be stopping Henderson.
He added that Henderson had become too comfortable offensively.
That will be a major focus heading into Game 3.
If Wembanyama is unavailable because of concussion protocol, slowing Henderson becomes even more important.
Without their defensive anchor, the Spurs may need an entirely different strategy.
The series now shifts to Portland for Game 3 on Friday with both teams carrying major momentum questions.
The Trail Blazers have confidence after stealing a road win and proving they can close late against a top seed.
The Spurs must now prepare for the possibility of playing without Wembanyama, their franchise centerpiece and best two-way player.
NBA concussion protocol requires at least 48 hours of rest and multiple medical clearances before a player can return.
That timeline makes his Game 3 status uncertain.
The entire series may now depend on how quickly Wembanyama recovers—and whether San Antonio can recover emotionally from letting Game 2 slip away.
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