The San Antonio Spurs are more likely to be with out star middle Victor Wembanyama as they give the impression of being to remain within the hunt for residence-court docket benefit all through the playoffs after they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday in a sport with postseason implications on each side.
The Spurs (60-19) are assured to complete no worse than second place within the Western Conference however are nonetheless chasing Oklahoma City for the very best report in each the convention and the league, 2.5 video games again with three and 4 common-season video games left, respectively.
San Antonio has captured 12 of its previous 13 video games, together with a 115-102 residence victory over Philadelphia on Monday. Stephon Castle produced his fifth profession triple-double with 19 factors, 13 assists and 10 rebounds.
“(Monday) was a classic Steph Castle game in the sense that his competitiveness at times probably won out versus some basketball cerebral decision-making,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson stated. “And I will never, almost never, penalize him for that.”
Wembanyama and Dylan Harper every added 17 factors, De’Aaron Fox and Keldon Johnson hit for 13 factors apiece and Luke Kornet scored 10.
Wembanyama had all of his factors within the first half. He didn’t return to the ground within the second half after he sustained a left rib contusion in a second-quarter collision with the 76ers’ Paul George.
He’s listed as uncertain to play vs. Portland, however ESPN reported Tuesday that the Spurs are assured he’ll be capable to play once more in the course of the common season. Johnson felt it was a optimistic that he returned to the court docket for a couple of extra minutes after sustaining the harm earlier than leaving the sport for good.
The win was San Antonio’s sixtieth of the season, marking the eighth time in its historical past — and the primary for the reason that 2016-17 season — that the staff has reached that win complete.
“(Sixty wins) was definitely a goal of ours, especially late in the season, so to be able to accomplish that before the end of the regular season is definitely a big deal,” Castle stated. “But I think we’ve got our eyes set on bigger goals right now.”
Wembanyama performed 15:40 within the first half, which counts as an official sport for the aim of postseason award consideration (beneath the “near miss” exemption). The MVP candidate should play at the least 20 minutes in one of many Spurs’ closing three video games to qualify for awards.
The surging Trail Blazers (40-39) journey to the Alamo City after a 137-132 time beyond regulation loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday. The setback snapped Portland’s three-sport profitable streak and dropped it into ninth place within the West because it chases the Los Angeles Clippers for eighth to keep away from needing to win two play-in video games.
The Trail Blazers canned a franchise report 25 3-pointers and led by 16 factors with 8:34 to play. But they squandered that margin in the long run sport, needing a jumper by Deni Avdija to pressure time beyond regulation and then succumbing within the further interval.
“It is a learning experience,” appearing Blazers coach Tiago Splitter stated of the loss. “We’re going to have those games coming up. … We’ve got to finish those games. This is what you learn from. We just got schooled by one of the best teams in the NBA.”
Toumani Camara hit eight of these 3-tips that could account for almost all of his 30 factors within the loss. Avdija added 26 factors, Jrue Holiday racked up 19 and 11 assists, Donovan Clingan had 18 factors and 12 rebounds, Scoot Henderson additionally tallied 18 factors and Matisse Thybulle had 14 off the bench for the Trail Blazers.
Portland has gained eight of its previous 11 video games to clinch a spot within the postseason. The groups have break up their two conferences to this point this 12 months, every profitable a highway sport.
–Field Level Media
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