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The San Antonio Spurs fell 106-103 to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night at Frost Bank Center, as the Western Conference playoff series shifted to 1-1 after a late collapse and a major injury to Victor Wembanyama.
Scoot Henderson led Portland with 31 points, while San Antonio lost control in the final minutes despite a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson confirmed Wembanyama’s status after the game, offering a straightforward update on the star center’s condition.
“I just know he has a concussion, and he’s in the protocol, and we’ll obviously take the proper and appropriate steps,” Johnson said.
Johnson stressed that no additional medical complications were confirmed beyond the concussion diagnosis.
“That protocol is the protocol, so we’ll just follow it as everyone else does and plan accordingly,” he said when asked about availability for Game 3.
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San Antonio’s defensive performance was mixed, with Johnson pointing to specific breakdowns despite holding Portland to stretches of inefficient offense.
“They shot 42.2% from the field, 34 from three, got 23 free throws,” Johnson said. “They got 24 points off our turnovers, and they got 23 second-chance points.”
Even with the loss, Johnson defended the overall effort level and physical approach from his group.
“I thought the guys actually fought their butts off, did a really good job,” he said. “We didn’t give up 150 or anything like that.”
Rotational adjustments became a key factor after Wembanyama exited, forcing the Spurs into smaller lineups and guard-heavy combinations.
“I thought they did a good job,” Johnson said of the four-guard looks. “We had some combinations out there that were a little unique… Portland really forces you to output a lot of energy.”
San Antonio’s late-game execution also came under scrutiny after another uneven opening stretch compared to Game 1.
“I thought we were a little… not as poised as we were in Game one,” Johnson said. “We weren’t quite as sharp to start the game.”
Johnson also addressed a controversial late jump ball sequence that contributed to Portland’s closing momentum.
“I definitely know I showed some emotion and frustration there,” he said. “I felt like they called the whistle on the catch… I just tried to move on, and I thought our guys did too.”
On the offensive end, Johnson acknowledged Portland’s defensive pressure disrupted San Antonio’s perimeter creators late.
“There was a level of fatigue there that kicked in,” he said. “Portland really forces you to output a lot of energy.”
He also praised Stephon Castle’s response to playoff physicality and highlighted Scoot Henderson’s impact throughout the game.
“He imposed his competitiveness on the game,” Johnson said of Castle. “He made a lot of shots,” he added about Henderson, noting that film review would determine defensive adjustments for Game 3.
Johnson confirmed the Spurs will continue evaluating frontcourt options, including Carter Bryant, if Wembanyama remains sidelined.
“We’ll have to sit down as a staff and really think about the game holistically,” he said.
