With other teams still battling it out, the San Antonio Spurs have given themselves some rest after beating the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. The series had looked competitive after the Blazers took Game 2, but the Spurs bounced back to win three straight games, including a dominant Game 5 in which the Spurs immediately took control.
San Antonio Spurs Ace First Round vs Trail Blazers
When Everything That Could Go Wrong Went Wrong
Injuries have already had a huge effect on the playoffs. Anthony Edwards‘ and Donte DiVincenzo‘s injuries have already affected Minnesota’s odds of making it out of the first round. Cade Cunningham has struggled since returning from a collapsed lung. In Game 2 of the Spurs-Blazers series, Victor Wembanyama went down with a concussion. What is not talked about is who else got banged up. Harrison Barnes (wrist) and Dylan Harper (thumb) also left the court in the fourth quarter of the contest.
Luckily, Barnes and Harper ended up being fine for Game 3. However, the series without Barnes or any of the young players looked dark. The Spurs struggled mightily without Barnes and Wemby, a symptom of the organization cutting Jeremy Sochan and being left without power forward depth. The team struggled on the glass, and players like Scott Henderson started playing their best at the worst time. The Blazers tied the series and were going home to Portland.
The Spurs regained control of the series with increased physicality and composure. Both games in Portland looked like potential blowout losses until the Spurs were able to control the pace, get out in transition and get the ball to their hot players.
The Spurs’ Return To Glory
The Spurs have won a playoff series for the first time since 2017, led by Wembanyama, Fox and Castle each averaging 20 points per game. Wemby has put up numbers not seen since the days of Hakeem Olajuwon.
The Spurs’ play so far should alleviate any doubts that this team is going to be hindered by inexperience. Some may be critical of the fact that a few games were close in the first place, but being able to win tough games is what championship-level teams do. The Spurs’ ability to gain momentum when they need it is invaluable.
San Antonio’s path to the conference finals is almost wide open. The Denver Nuggets trail the injured Minnesota Timberwolves, 3-2. The winner of that series will face the Spurs in the next round. Denver has struggled unexpectedly so far in the playoffs. They even lost the game in which Edwards and DiVincenzo went down. The Nuggets arguably posed the biggest threat at the start of the playoffs, having beaten the Spurs three times in the regular season.
So far, the Spurs have played with extreme resilience and patience. They can rely on a handful of players to have star-level performances. As long as the Spurs play with composure and control, they are unbeatable.
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