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Portland Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter reflected on an elimination loss after San Antonio closed out a 114-95 win in Game 5 at the Frost Bank Center on Tuesday, April 28.
Splitter opened his postgame message with perspective on the season, saying, “Proud of them the whole year. Start to remember the whole season and what we went through.”
He added, “Again, we competed every night for the most part and that’s what we are proud of.”
Asked about the feeling of being eliminated in a building where he once experienced deep playoff runs, Splitter said, “Not great, of course. But again, I know this is a great basketball team. They have a superstar that changed the game. They deserve it. They played better and that’s it.”
He also reflected on the emotional weight of his connection to the venue, stating, “It’s bad to lose a game, but again, I said this at the beginning of the season. I went through great moments here in this building and that’s never going to borrow from my memories. So I wish them good luck.”
San Antonio’s defensive presence, led by Victor Wembanyama, defined the series. Splitter acknowledged the tactical challenge, saying, “It’s extremely difficult. You got to do a lot of tricks and try to set back screens and seals and Spain actions.”
He continued, “Not easy because he can contest the three and the rim at the same time basically. He’s going to create a lot of problems for a lot of teams for a long time. It’s not easy.”
Portland briefly trimmed the deficit in the second half, but consistency on both ends remained the deciding factor. Splitter said, “The Spurs started the game making every shot. We were contesting shots that were making and we were shooting open shots and missing.”
He added, “They opened whatever 30 point lead they had on us. We fought there. I think we were down nine with eight minutes left, so a lot of game to play.”
Despite the final result, he emphasized the effort level from his group. “Again, not easy. You put that effort in, you got to finish. Think about how this team fought. They fought again to the end, to the last minute. That’s what I take from it.”
The Blazers’ shot selection and efficiency were decisive, as they finished at 35% from the field and 23% from three-point range. Splitter pointed to execution as the separator in a game where Portland briefly threatened a comeback.
The coach also addressed lineup decisions, including reduced minutes for Shaedon Sharpe, saying, “It’s tough because you can only play five players at the same time. I thought Scoot came and brought us energy on both ends.”
He concluded, “I’m going to focus on the positive. Scoot brought energy and helped us there in the second half.”
San Antonio advances to the Western Conference semifinals, while Portland exits after a physical five-game series defined by defensive pressure, shooting efficiency gaps, and late-game surges from the Spurs.
