By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The San Antonio Spurs moved within one win of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google, on Sunday, fueled by a dominant performance from Victor Wembanyama in his return from a concussion. The 7-foot-4 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year powered a 114–93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers and a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Lasting 34 minutes in Game 4, the 22-year-old French center finished with 27 points on 9/17 field goals, 11 rebounds, seven blocks, four steals, and three assists. His availability was a game-time decision, with the Spurs announcing only an hour before tip-off that Wembanyama had been medically cleared. He had been sidelined since hitting his head on the court during a hard fall in Game 2.
Wembanyama started and immediately made his presence felt, drawing gasps from the Moda Center crowd with an emphatic dunk midway through the second quarter. However, the tone of his return was complicated by his postgame remarks regarding the league’s protocol process. While praising his team’s care, he expressed frustration with the external handling of the injury.
“The way the situation was handled was very disappointing, not by the Spurs,” said Wemby. “I don’t want to get into the details. I don’t want to become a distraction. Ask me again after the end of the season.”
“Not too much of a scary moment. It was a very weird feeling, without getting into too many details. Everything was always controlled. They are taking great care of me,” he mentioned about the injury itself.
The game began as a struggle with the hosts using an 18-3 run in the first half to build a 19-point lead, heading into the locker room up 58-41. The Spurs responded with a 13-0 run to open the second half. Devin Vassell tied the game with a jumper late in the third, and the score remained knotted at 74 entering the final frame. In the fourth, De’Aaron Fox, who finished with 28 points, combined with Keldon Johnson to hit back-to-back three-pointers that broke the game open. A Johnson dunk with under five minutes remaining pushed the lead to 20.
“We need to find the answers before having our backs against the wall, but that also shows the strength of our team in adversity. We stick together. We get closer to each other, we feed off of each other’s energy,” Wembanyama said of the second-half turnaround.
“I think there’s no useless drama in between us. We thrive when we do the invisible efforts that benefit others. There’s no jealousy. Nobody cares about their stat line. So it’s our greatest strength,” he added.
The series now shifts back to San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center for Game 5 on Tuesday night, where the Spurs will look to close out the Blazers and advance.
NBA Playoffs 2026
Eastern Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
1. Detroit Pistons – Orlando Magic 1-2 (101-112, 98-83, 105-113)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers – Toronto Raptors 2-2 (126-113, 115-105, 104-126, 89-93)
3. New York Knicks – Atlanta Hawks 2-2 (113-102, 106-107, 108-109, 114-98)
4. Boston Celtics – Philadelphia 76ers 3-1 (123-91, 97-111, 108-100, 128-96)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
5. Winners 1-2
6. Winners 3-4
Finals (best-of-seven)
Winners of Semifinals
Western Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
1. Oklahoma City Thunder – Phoenix Suns 3-0 (119-84, 120-107, 121-109)
2. Los Angeles Lakers – Houston Rockets 3-0 (107-98, 101-94, 112-108)
3. Denver Nuggets – Minnesota Timberwolves 1-3 (126-115, 114-119, 96-113, 96-112)
4. San Antonio Spurs – Portland Trail Blazers 3-1 (111-98, 103-106, 120-108, 114-93)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
5. Winners 1-2
6. Winners 3-4
Finals (best-of-seven)
Winners of Semifinals
NBA Finals 2026 (best-of-seven)
Eastern Conference and Western Conference champions