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Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III pointed to a collapse in discipline and physical response after a 120-108 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night at the Moda Center in Game 3 of the first-round series.
“They took their intensity and toughness to another level,” Williams said. “I feel like we kind of started complaining. We kind of let them get in our head a little bit.”
The Spurs, playing without Victor Wembanyama, erased a 15-point deficit and took control late behind Stephon Castle’s 33 points and Dylan Harper’s 27 points and 10 rebounds. The win gave San Antonio a 2-1 series lead.
Williams highlighted how momentum shifted through effort plays and rebounding, a key basketball factor in playoff swings.
“They played possession to possession, which is the biggest thing coming down the stretch,” Williams said. “Each possession matters. We got caught complaining too much, got caught in no man’s land.”
Portland led 82-67 in the third quarter before San Antonio responded with a 21-5 run to flip the game. The Blazers were unable to stabilize the possession battle after that stretch.
Williams also pointed to rebounding and transition defense as decisive factors. The Spurs generated second chances and early offense during the comeback.
“Their rebounding, their energy, their intensity,” Williams said. “We hang our hat on intensity, defense, rebounding. We did not match it.”
The physical tone escalated throughout the second half, something Williams acknowledged as part of playoff basketball but also as an area where Portland lost composure.
“Once trash talk starts, everybody’s tension rises,” Williams said. “You got to be able to talk trash and maintain your style of play.”
He also connected the breakdown to execution rather than effort alone, emphasizing discipline under pressure.
“We got caught in no man’s land,” Williams said. “They were just rolling and we couldn’t match the intensity.”
Williams stressed that the quick turnaround leaves no time for extended frustration, with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday in Portland.
“It’s one of the ones you lose sleep over,” Williams said. “But the best and worst thing about this league is you play every other day.”
