Spurs Beat Blazers 4-1, Advance to West Semifinals

The San Antonio Spurs advanced to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2017, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 114-95 in Game 5 on Tuesday night at Frost Bank Center to claim the first-round series 4-1.

Victor Wembanyama recorded 17 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks, anchoring a defense that limited Portland to 35.1 percent shooting from the field and 23.4 percent from three-point range. DeAaron Fox led the Spurs with 21 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, and added nine assists to seal the victory. Julian Champagnie contributed 19 points, highlighted by 11 in the first quarter and five three-pointers, while Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle added 17 and 15 points, respectively. The Spurs never trailed, opening with a 17-4 run and leading by as many as 28 points while outrebounding Portland 43-38.

San Antonio's regular-season dominance as the Western Conference's No. 2 seed at 62-20 marked a 28-win improvement from the prior year, fueled by Wembanyama's unanimous Defensive Player of the Year award, the youngest in league history. He averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks during the regular season, and posted multiple double-doubles in...