The San Antonio Spurs didn’t just win Game 4, they completely flipped the series, powered by a dominant return from Victor Wembanyama.
Back after missing time in concussion protocol, Wembanyama delivered a two-way masterclass, finishing with 27 points, 12 rebounds, seven blocks and four steals as the Spurs stormed back from a massive deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 114-93 and take a 3-1 series lead.
“It’s special, obviously,” Wembanyama said. “I had lots of emotions in me before the game, obviously, excitement, frustration. So, I let it all out today.”
Even amid the performance, Wembanyama hinted at frustration around how his return was handled.
“I won’t get into the details,” he said. “I don’t want it to become a distraction. Ask me again after the season. All the doctors, especially on the Spurs, but the doctors all around, they were great, took great care of me. But the way the situation was handled was very disappointing. Not on the Spurs. But as I say, I won’t get into details.”
Wembanyama’s presence was felt everywhere, particularly on the defensive end, where he anchored a comeback that quickly gained momentum.
“We’ve had to fight back,” De’Aaron Fox said. “When we’re down, we figure out why. We try to fix that. When a team gets up, you feel the electricity in the building, especially in a playoff game. We felt that. And once we tied the game up, we started feeling good about it.”
By the fourth quarter, the Spurs had completely taken over. Wembanyama was flawless down the stretch, scoring efficiently while continuing to disrupt everything defensively.
“That’s Vic being the best player in the world and we know that he can do that,” Devin Vassell said. “For him to be able to dominate both ends of the floor doesn’t even really come as a surprise anymore. You expect it. You expect that type of greatness from him and that’s what we need from him every game.”
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