The San Antonio Spurs are moving on in the playoffs! They defeated the Portland Trailblazers 4-1 in the first round. Was this shocking to NBA fans? Not particularly. The Spurs have been one of the best teams all year, and they proved it by making quick work of the Blazers. No series is as easy as 1-2-3, well, some are. Let’s dive into the gentleman’s sweep of the San Antonio handed Portland.
Spurs’ Second Half Dominance
One of the question marks of this team was their youth and how they would handle adversity. Being one of the favorites to win the NBA Championship brings a different level of expectations and pressure. The Spurs are no longer the “young, fun” team playing to develop and become great in the future. They are playing as one of the best teams in the NBA and are great now.
When a team wins a series 4-1, you might believe that it was a one-sided affair. The only thing that was one-sided was the final score. The Spurs found themselves trailing Portland by double-digits in multiple games. Turning a 15-point deficit in the third quarter of Game 3 and a 17-point deficit at halftime in Game 4 into convincing double-digit wins is impressive in the postseason.
I believe the turning point in the series was Game 2, when San Antonio lost Victor Wembanyama before halftime and blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead. Now, were they in any danger in terms of losing the series? No, however, it’s great to have a moment like that with such a young team in the first round, rather than later in the postseason when the games mean more.
Takeaways for the Spurs
I’m happy this team had to scratch and claw its way out of holes in this series. If they had just beat the brakes off the Blazers from the opening tip, it wouldn’t have meant as much in my opinion. All their young stars, Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, & Dylan Harper didn’t shrink in any moment. Given this was their first taste of the postseason, I was impressed, and they took care of business against a team I thought could give them trouble.
We also got a glimpse of what the Spurs would look like without Wemby. Despite it only being for one game, I saw that their confidence level won’t dip if anything were to happen. The depth of this team is legit, and they are my favorites to win the Finals this season right now. They are waiting for the winner of the Nuggets/Timberwolves series. If it’s Minnesota, they could have a cakewalk to the Western Conference Finals.
Takeaways for the Trail Blazers
As for the Blazers, they reached their ceiling for this season. I actually love the pieces they have. Deni Avdija is an ascending star. Scoot Henderson appeared to have his breakout moment. Donovan Clingan is a walking double-double and is one of the best rim protectors in the NBA. Toumani Camara is one of the best defenders in the league. This team has an abundance of talent. To think they had this much success with their head coach’s scandal early in the season, too.
If they were in the Eastern Conference, I think they’d be one of the best teams in the conference. I am not saying they will be one of the top teams in the West next season, but it wouldn’t shock me if this team jumped from 42 wins and the 8th seed to 46-48 wins and the 6th seed. Not in the slightest.
Final Thoughts
I thought this series was a great display of how quickly the Spurs turned themselves into a well-oiled machine. Just two seasons ago, they were a team viewed as a potential juggernaut in the making. Well, that team is here and is in a great spot to make the WCF. Were your takeaways from the series? Do you think San Antonio is a lock to make the 3rd round? Lastly, did this change your views on the Trail Blazers?
As always, thank you so much for checking out my thoughts and recap of the San Antonio Spurs defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 4-1 in the First Round! Be sure to check out our other amazing content here at New Leaf News! We hope you’re enjoying your day and look forward to seeing you again soon.
