Series Over — Spurs win 4-1: Wembanyama finished the series averaging 24.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 5.5 blocks. San Antonio advances to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2017.
The San Antonio Spurs came into the 2026 playoffs as one of the best stories in the NBA. Back in the postseason for the first time since 2019, built around a 22-year-old who looks like he was sent from the future. Then, in one brutal second-quarter fall, everything got complicated.
Victor Wembanyama hit his chin on the court in Game 2 against Portland. He walked to the locker room, didn’t return, and entered concussion protocol. The Trail Blazers came back from 14 down to steal the game 106-103. Series tied 1-1. The question was simple: can this Spurs team survive without him?
Four games in, we have the answer. And it’s more impressive than anyone expected.
The Series Game by Game
Wembanyama announced himself to the playoff stage in emphatic fashion. Thirty-five points — a Spurs franchise record for a playoff debut. The young core looked sharp, the crowd at the Frost Bank Center was electric, and San Antonio served notice this wasn’t just a happy-to-be-here team.
The Spurs led by 14 in the fourth quarter. Then Wembanyama fell face-first to the floor, hit his chin on the hardwood, and didn’t return. Portland found a different gear. Scoot Henderson exploded for 31 points. The Trail Blazers outscored San Antonio 27-10 down the stretch and stole a game they had no right to win.
A moment none of us likes to see. There’s something about watching an athlete go down hard — doesn’t matter if you’re winning, losing, or just watching your team fight their hearts out — that stops everything. You stop thinking about the score. I’ve been on enough pitches and courts to know that feeling in your stomach when a teammate hits the ground and doesn’t get up right away. Sport can wait. The person comes first.
Wembanyama sat. San Antonio won anyway. Stephon Castle delivered 33 points, rookie Dylan Harper added 27 points and 10 rebounds, and the Spurs — shorthanded and on the road — took a 2-1 series lead. A statement about this team’s depth that nobody was expecting.
Wembanyama returned. And he made sure everyone remembered why he’s the Defensive Player of the Year.
🏆 Historic Performance
Wembanyama’s Game 4 line (27 pts, 11 reb, 7 blk) placed him alongside Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, and David Robinson as the only players in NBA playoff history to reach those marks in a single game.
The Spurs trailed 58-41 at halftime. They outscored Portland 73-35 in the second half to win 114-93 — becoming the first team in NBA playoff history to trail by 15 or more at halftime and win by 15 or more.
De’Aaron Fox delivered 28 points on 65% shooting. Scoot Henderson — averaging 23 points through the first three games — went 0-for-7 and was held scoreless.
Source: NBA Official Concussion Policy Summary →
What Happened to Wembanyama
With 8:57 left in the second quarter of Game 2, Wembanyama attempted a spinning drive past Jrue Holiday in the paint. As he turned to get to the rim, Holiday fouled him and Wembanyama went face-first into the floor. His chin hit the hardwood. His eyes briefly closed on impact.
Teammates rushed over. After about 30 seconds he managed to sit up, spoke briefly with Stephon Castle, then jogged to the locker room under his own power. The Spurs confirmed concussion protocol shortly after.
“He has a concussion. He’s in the protocol. We’ll take the proper and appropriate steps.”
— Mitch Johnson, Spurs Head Coach, post-Game 2How the Protocol Worked
NBA Concussion Return-to-Play Protocol — Completed
Source: NBA.com — Wembanyama Cleared for Game 4 →
What Game 5 Means
The Spurs return home to San Antonio on Tuesday with a chance to close out the series and advance to the second round — their first playoff series win since 2017. Almost the entire roster, including coach Mitch Johnson, has never experienced winning a playoff series.
Portland will fight. Deni Avdija led Game 4 with 26 points before the collapse. Jrue Holiday added 20. This team doesn’t quit. But Wembanyama is healthy, De’Aaron Fox is playing like a first option, and San Antonio at full strength has looked like one of the most complete teams in the West.
I’ve been around sport long enough to know how dangerous a 3-1 lead can feel — and how quickly it can evaporate. But this Spurs team has won without their best player and dominated with him. That’s a different kind of scary for anyone they face next.
The Spurs closed it out with authority. San Antonio charged to a 17-4 start and never looked back. Champagnie hit 5-of-7 from three, Wembanyama dominated with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks, and De’Aaron Fox added 21 to seal the series 4-1. Portland briefly cut the deficit to 9 in the fourth quarter but Wembanyama swatted Avdija’s floater off the top of the backboard and into the stands — a moment that summed up the entire series perfectly. Series over. Spurs advance.
Read more: LeBron & Bronny James — NBA’s First Father-Son Playoff Moment →
What is the current score of the Spurs vs Trail Blazers 2026 playoffs series?
The San Antonio Spurs lead 3-1. Game 5 is Tuesday, April 29 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio at 9:30 PM ET on ESPN. The Spurs are one win away from advancing to the second round.
Did Wembanyama play in Game 3?
No. Wembanyama sat out Game 3 while going through the NBA’s concussion protocol. The Spurs won without him 120-108, with Stephon Castle scoring 33 points and rookie Dylan Harper adding 27 points and 10 rebounds on the road in Portland.
What were Wembanyama’s stats in his Game 4 return?
Wembanyama returned in Game 4 and delivered 27 points, 11 rebounds, 7 blocks, 4 steals, and 3 assists in San Antonio’s 114-93 win. In the second half he went 5-of-5 from the field and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. His performance placed him alongside Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, and David Robinson as the only players to post those marks in a single playoff game.
How did the Spurs come back from 19 down in Game 4?
Portland led 58-41 at halftime but the Spurs outscored them 73-35 in the second half. Wembanyama dominated defensively, De’Aaron Fox took over offensively with 28 points on 65% shooting, and Scoot Henderson — who had averaged 23 points in the series — went scoreless in 7 shots. San Antonio became the first team in NBA playoff history to trail by 15 or more at halftime and win by 15 or more.
How long does NBA concussion protocol take?
At minimum 48 hours, but typically around a week. The player must pass multiple stages while remaining symptom-free throughout, with sign-off from both the team doctor and an independent NBA physician. Wembanyama completed the full protocol in time to be cleared for Game 4 — roughly five days after his injury in Game 2.
What happened in Game 5 of Spurs vs Trail Blazers?
The Spurs closed out the series 114-95 on April 29, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center. San Antonio never trailed, charging to a 17-4 start. Wembanyama finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds and 6 blocks. De’Aaron Fox added 21 points and Julian Champagnie hit 5-of-7 from three for 19 points. The Spurs advance to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2017.
One for the Ages
The question this article started with — can the Spurs survive without Wembanyama? — has been answered completely. They won Game 3 on the road without him. They came back from 19 down in Game 4 with him. And in Game 5, they never trailed for a single second, charging to a 17-4 start and closing out the series with authority.
San Antonio advances to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2017. A lot has happened since then — the Kawhi trade, the rebuild years, the lottery picks, the drafting of Wembanyama. All of it led to this. The Spurs are back, and they’re dangerous.
Portland fought hard throughout. Deni Avdija was excellent, Scoot Henderson showed his potential, and Tiago Splitter’s team never quit. But when a team has a 7-foot-4 centre who can contest a three and protect the rim simultaneously, the margins just disappear. Wembanyama is the real thing. The rest of the West has been warned.
