Welcome to the playoffs, Victor Wembanyama.
And yeah, he looked right at home.
Wembanyama dropped 35 points in his postseason debut, leading the Spurs to a 111-98 win over the Trail Blazers in Game 1.
No nerves. No adjustment period. Just production.
“It is obviously different,” Wembanyama said, via The Associated Press. “But we’ve been really good in the regular season… we have no reason to act differently or do anything different.”
That mindset showed.
He scored 21 in the first half alone, the most in a playoff debut opening half in the play-by-play era. The 35 total? A franchise record for a debut, passing Tim Duncan.
Not bad company. The Spurs fed off it.
De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle added 17 points apiece, and San Antonio controlled things with defense, rebounding and pace.
They also made life tough on Portland.
“The Spurs put you in tough positions,” Blazers coach Tiago Splitter said. “Against them, you’ve got to shoot the ball well from 3s. We didn’t. We’ve got to shoot the ball better.”
Portland went 10-for-38 from deep.
That’s not winning basketball. Still, there were flashes.
Deni Avdija finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Scoot Henderson added 18. But the consistency just wasn’t there.
San Antonio made sure of that.
“That’s what we’ve talked about,” said Devin Vassell. “Every possession matters… play to the whistle.”
Simple message. Big result.
Game 2 is Tuesday. And if this is the version of Wembanyama the Spurs are rolling with, this series could move fast.
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!
