After a dominant Game One win over the Portland Trail Blazers, the San Antonio Spurs looked primed for a convincing first-round victory.
That all came to a screeching halt in Game Two, when Victor Wembanyama hit his face onto the hardwood and was diagnosed with a concussion after the game. San Antonio was not able to hold on without him, despite holding a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter.
The Spurs looked like they could lose all the momentum they built up this season, winning 60 games, and earning the second seed in the West. However, this team is deep with scoring and playmaking in Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and Dylan Harper. Their backcourt trio is the reason why San Antonio may not be done yet.
The Spurs are close to crushing the Blazers’ upset hopes
Game Three was a pivotal game for San Antonio. This was the first road playoff game for most of the roster and without their MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in Wembanyama, the Spurs were facing an uphill battle. Enter Castle and Harper.
The young guard duo was absolutely spectacular for San Antonio. They combined for 60 points, knocked down seven threes, and were 19-of-30 from the field. Portland had no answer for both of them when they got into the paint, where they were able to create, or finish strong at the rim.
Castle has shown that he is capable of performances like this, as he has arguably been the Spurs’ second best player this season. He took on the primary ball-handler role next to Fox and was making the right decision consistently. He showed good touch around the rim and his jump shooting, which had really come on at the end of the regular season, continued to be a bright spot for him.
Harper meanwhile had one of the best rookie playoff performances in recent memory. He was constantly getting downhill and driving with such force and speed that he had the Blazers on their heels all night long. He was going at it with Scoot Henderson as well, which has become an underrated fun matchup during this playoffs.
Wembanyama’s absence likely won’t be long-term, but San Antonio has to be relieved that their backcourt duo has shown that they can carry the baton as long as he is absent. Portland still has a chance to make things interesting, but not if Castle and Harper have anything to say about it.