----- Scoot Henderson scored a game-high 31 points and Jrue Holiday added 16 points and nine assists as the Portland Trail Blazers topped the San Antonio Spurs 106-103 in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
Trail Blazers capitalized on a huge opportunity and evened up their first round NBA Playoff series with the San Antonio Spurs!
Scoot Henderson scored a game-high 31 points and Jrue Holiday added 16 points and nine assists as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the San Antonio Spurs 106-103 Tuesday night at Frost Bank Center. Their best-of-seven first round series is now tied at 1-1.
After putting up a team-high 30 points in game 1, Deni Avdija managed just 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
The Spurs lost Victor Wembanyama in the second quarter when he went crashing to the floor and his head smacked the hardwood. He did not return to the game (Concussion Protocol).
Following the game, Shams Charania of ESPN confirmed Wembanyama had suffered a concussion. He posted on X, "Per NBA guidelines, Wembanyama cannot return to full participation for 48 hours but can resume gradual activity in 24 hours as long as his symptoms don't worsen. Then he must hit several benchmarks while being symptom-free before he is cleared to play. He'll then require clearance from team doctor in consultation with league protocol director."
The Spurs led by one-point entering the final quarter and used a 15-3 run to build a 13-point lead with 7:56 remaining.
Portland responded with an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to five following a three-pointer from Jrue Holiday.
The Spurs pushed their lead back to nine with 5:08 to play following a free throw from De'Aaron Fox, but the Trail Blazers continued to fight.
Portland outscored San Antonio 16-4 over the final 5:08 to secure the win.
Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 18 points and Fox added 17 points and four assists.
Reporting during the game indicated the normal recovery time for the concussion protocol is 5-7 days. The big question moving forward in this series is going to be focused on Wembanyama and when he will be able to return to action.
Game 3 scheduled for Friday night at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon at 7:30 PM.
Up Next- The Trail Blazers return to Portland for Game 3 to host the Spurs on Friday night. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 PM.
Chad's Take- On a night when Avdija didn't have it, Scoot carried the team to victory. Great day to be a Blazer!