Victor Wembanyama has provided a dominant presence inside against the Trail Blazers.
Just four games into the 2026 NBA playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs have aced important tests.
They won a game in which they trailed by 15 in the third quarter without Victor Wembanyama and won a game in which they trailed by 19 late in the second quarter with their star center. They also navigated a game-and-a-half without Wembanyama, who sustained a concussion in Game 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Those are encouraging developments for a young, talented roster with minimal playoff experience and a coach (Mitch Johnson) in his first playoff series.
Now, they face another test: eliminating a playoff opponent in a closeout game.
Up 3-1 in their first-round Western Conference series against the Trail Blazers, the Spurs can advance to the conference semifinals with a victory in Game 5 on Tuesday (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Here are three things to watch in Game 5:
1. Can Spurs close out series?
Harrison Barnes and Luke Kornet are the only Spurs with significant playoff experience. De’Aaron Fox has one prior playoff series on his resume, but the other key participants (Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, Keldon Johnson and rookies Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant, and Mitch Johnson) are trying to get their first series win.
So far, they have met the task. Castle scored 33 points in Game 3, while Harper had 27 points and 10 rebounds in Game 3. Vassell does a bit of everything and generated 11 points, six rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal in Game 4. Keldon Johnson, the Kia Sixth Man of the Year, is searching for more offense but keeps opponents honest, and Bryant was outstanding in Game 3 (though the box score won’t reflect that).
“There’s no jealousy. Nobody cares about their stat line. It’s our greatest strength,” Wembanyama said.
At home with a conference semifinals series against either Minnesota or Denver on the line, the Spurs get another chance to show their growth.
2. How can Blazers extend series?
The Trail Blazers have had some moments and led by 19 in Game 4. They just haven’t been able to sustain leads. Portland interim coach Tiago Splitter said all options were on the table when it came to the starting lineup.
One option would be to start Robert Williams III at center and move Donovan Clingan to the bench. In the series, the Blazers have been better offensively and defensively with Williams in the game than with Clingan. That would give Portland more athleticism to match up with the Spurs and Wembanyama.
But it’s not just on one player.
The Trail Blazers’ bench needs to be better, and Scoot Henderson needs to play more as he did in Game 2 (31 points) and less like he did in Game 4 (zero points).
With that said, the Spurs’ third-ranked regular-season defense has had a say in Portland’s offensive issues.
3. Wembanyama’s growing leadership
In the two full games Wembanyama has played in the series, he is averaging 31 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.5 blocks, two assists, and two steals, and shooting 57.9% from the field and 60% from 3-point range. The Spurs’ success for the remainder of the playoffs is dependent on Wembanyama, and that’s a lot to ask from a 22-year-old.
“He was already extremely talented,” Fox said. “But using his voice is the biggest change that I’ve seen from when I got here last year to the beginning of this year until now. He’s always talking both offensively and defensively scheme-wise. Whatever he sees on the court, he’s voicing to us. That’s probably been the biggest growth that he’s had this year.”
Coach Mitch Johnson’s belief in Wembanyama is unwavering.
“I’ve learned to trust that young man,” Johnson said. “I’m rolling with him, and the challenge now is for him to continue to play the way he did in the second half (of Game 4 with 18 points, five rebounds, five blocks) for the whole game. When he does that, we’ll be tough. If he doesn’t do that, there’s a ripple effect for our team, and that’s the responsibility that comes with being the face of the franchise and the best player.”
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Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at jzillgitt@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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