Victor Wembanyama Scores 35 as San Antonio Spurs Beat Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1

Victor Wembanyama scored 35 points in his postseason debut as the host San Antonio Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers 111-98 in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series on Sunday.

At Frost Bank Center, Wembanyama checked out with 52.8 seconds left, pumping his right fist in acknowledgment of the fiesta-clad crowd as San Antonio celebrated the franchise’s first playoff victory in seven years.

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ESPN said Wembanyama’s 35 was “game-high 35 points” and the highest-scoring output in franchise history for a Spur making his postseason debut, surpassing Tim Duncan’s previous mark of 32.

ESPN also reported that Wembanyama became “the first player in NBA history to score 35 points or more in his postseason debut while connecting on at least five 3-pointers.”

He shot 13-of-21 from the field and 5-of-6 from 3-point range, and added five rebounds and two blocks, according to ESPN.

Al Jazeera likewise described the Spurs’ fourth-quarter run that created separation, and said the Spurs took a 1-0 lead with Game 2 on Tuesday in the Alamo City.

The Associated Press-style recap carried by KPTV and WOAI put the same core line at 111-98 and emphasized that Wembanyama’s 21 first-half points set an NBA record for the most in the opening half of an NBA playoff debut since 1997.

“It’s good to get this one out of the way,” Wembanyama said, as Al Jazeera quoted him, framing the win as something the Spurs had prepared for all year.

The Game 1 story was not only about Wembanyama’s scoring, but also about how San Antonio used his presence to disrupt Portland.

ESPN reported that over 33 minutes, Wembanyama faced eight different defenders and “held Portland scoreless on 11 attempts when he was the contesting defender.”

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It also highlighted his shooting splits—13-of-21 from the field and 5-of-6 from 3-point range—along with five rebounds and two blocks.

Al Jazeera described the halftime and third-quarter cushion, saying San Antonio led by 10 at halftime and by 15 after three quarters before scoring the first six points of the fourth quarter to go up 93-72.

Al Jazeera also quoted Scoot Henderson saying, “Something that we learned is that every possession matters,” and said Henderson expected the Spurs to be “more aggressive defensively” in the next game.

The New York Times recap credited Wembanyama’s fourth-quarter finishing, noting that his “14 points in the fourth quarter put the game away for good,” and it described how Portland had to throw “rainbow floaters up whenever they drove at him.”

Sports Illustrated’s account added a different angle on the same performance, saying Wembanyama broke Tim Duncan’s Spurs record of 32 points in a playoff debut, and it quoted Wembanyama: “I wouldn’t say weight, no. I would say, I feel safe,” when asked about legends like Duncan and David Robinson nearby.

Even the ESPN and Al Jazeera versions converged on the idea that the Spurs’ defensive gear shift mattered, with ESPN quoting Mitch Johnson saying, “But he really settled in there at a point when our defense kicked it into another gear.”

While Wembanyama’s output dominated the box score, multiple sources described how other Spurs players shaped the game’s momentum and how Portland tried to claw back.

Al Jazeera said Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox added 17 points apiece for the Spurs, with Devin Vassell scoring 15 and Luke Kornet hitting for 10, while Deni Avdija led Portland with 30 points and 10 rebounds.

ESPN’s recap credited Vassell with a quote about Wembanyama—“Vic is Vic, and he had a tremendous game”—and it also described how Wembanyama knocked down 4-of-6 while guarded by Donovan Clingan and hit 2-of-5 matched up against Robert Williams III.

The New York Times recap added that Portland’s offense depended heavily on Avdija, and it reported that “the Trail Blazers shot 10 of 38 from 3-point land,” while Avdija was the only player in double figures in one breakdown.

KPTV’s account said Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox each added 17 points and combined for 15 assists, and it noted that Scoot Henderson scored 18 and that Game 2 would be Tuesday in San Antonio before the series heads to Portland for Games 3 and 4.

Sports Illustrated emphasized a “game-changing run in the third quarter” and said Devin Vassell fueled it, while it also described Luke Kornet’s impact, including finishing with 10 points and 6 rebounds.

On Portland’s side, ESPN said the Blazers deployed tactics and personnel groupings devoted to stopping Wembanyama, and it reported that Portland started the second half on an 8-0 run to pull within two points on a Scoot Henderson 14-foot pull-up jumper.

Al Jazeera described Portland’s late rally as a 13-3 run capped by Deni Avdija’s dunk with 4:27 to play, but said San Antonio held strong down the stretch.

Although the core result—111-98 and Wembanyama’s 35—was consistent across outlets, the reporting emphasized different angles and included different sets of details.

ESPN foregrounded Wembanyama’s franchise-history scoring and the defensive framing from Mitch Johnson, quoting Johnson on preparation: “There's an approach that we all have in terms of expectation of a heightened level of preparation, detail, nuance, competitiveness, physicality, everything.”

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ESPN also described the crowd moment when the scoreboard flashed Tim Duncan and David Robinson seated side by side, and it included Wembanyama’s reaction: “I heard the crowd when they went on the camera.”

Al Jazeera, by contrast, leaned into the game’s run structure and the series schedule, stating the Spurs took a 1-0 lead with Game 2 on Tuesday in the Alamo City and that the Spurs scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to go up 93-72.

The New York Times added a tactical framing, describing how the Spurs “continued to have him play a zone along the baseline” and how Portland’s drives forced “rainbow floaters up whenever they drove at him.”

Sports Illustrated highlighted the presence of legends and the emotional tone, describing the jumbotron showing David Robinson and Tim Duncan wearing “free fiesta-colored t-shirts,” and it quoted Wembanyama about feeling “safe.”

KPTV and WOAI, both using AP material, emphasized the franchise context and the postseason drought, saying the Spurs’ first playoff game since 2019 came after a “six-season postseason drought” and that the sell-out crowd included Duncan and David Robinson courtside.

Even the “takeaways” format in The New York Times shaped the narrative, with its staff writer sections focusing on where offense came from and how the Spurs were “more than just Wemby.”

With Game 1 decided, the sources pivot to what comes next, centering on Game 2 on Tuesday and the adjustments both teams expect to make.

ESPN reported that Wembanyama expects more attention and physicality from the Blazers in Game 2 on Tuesday, quoting him: “Of course,” and adding, “It's their identity.”

ESPN

ESPN also said Wembanyama expects Portland to “double up on that in the next games,” while he told reporters, “But we're ready.”

Al Jazeera similarly framed the next matchup by quoting Scoot Henderson saying, “Next game, I think we are all gonna be more aggressive defensively,” and it also included Henderson’s sense that “there could be something more in the tank.”

The New York Times recap said Game 2 is Tuesday in San Antonio, and it described how the Spurs’ defensive and offensive patterns in Game 1 helped them keep a double-digit lead to the finish line.

KPTV and WOAI both stated that Game 2 is Tuesday night in San Antonio before the series heads to Portland for Games 3 and 4, and they emphasized that the Spurs were primed for their first playoff game since 2019.

Sports Illustrated added a specific game-planning note, quoting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson on how the Spurs would need “a lot more than the shot making, especially when teams are making runs,” and it described the Spurs’ plan to review the tape and get ready for Game 2 on Tuesday night.

For Portland, the Al Jazeera and ESPN accounts both pointed to the need to respond to Wembanyama’s scoring and to the defensive attention he drew, with Al Jazeera quoting Portland coach Tiago Splitter saying, “It’s really hard to take him out of the paint.”