This season, the Spurs performed the Portland Path Blazers 3 times touchdown with a 2-1 edge over Rip Metropolis. In every of these three video games, Victor Wembanyama sat out with an harm or harm administration.
On November twenty sixth, the Spurs performed in Portland. Wemby was sitting out the fifth of twelve video games whereas nursing a left calf pressure.
On January third, Wembanyama was sitting out his second recreation on account of hyperextended left knee obtained throughout the New 12 months’s Eve matchup towards the New York Knicks.
After which because the season was winding down, Victor as soon as once more sat out on April eighth with a left rib contusion after colliding with Paul George two days prior.
Portland, coming off a game-ending upset in Phoenix, secured the seventh seed and now face the Spurs within the first spherical of the playoffs.
Whereas the Spurs didn’t have a lot bother with the Path Blazers in these three video games, there are some logistical issues.
For one, Portland’s head coach is Tiago Splitter. Splitter gained the 2014 NBA title with the Silver & Black, the run of which included a gentleman’s sweep of the Path Blazers. He is aware of the Spurs playbook and was an adept massive man, so counter strategizing will likely be one thing to observe.
With Donovan Clingan as their beginning heart and Robert Williams III as again up, Wemby may have his palms full on the boards in addition to bodily within the paint.
Portland additionally options Sidy Cissoko and Blake Wesley. Whereas neither is predicted to be an X-factor, by no means put it previous a competitve participant to encourage towards their former workforce.
Over time, the Spurs and Path Blazers have met 4 occasions within the posteseason. The Path Blazers received the very best of the Spurs in 1990, however the Spurs have been victorious within the latter three, two of which (1999 and 2014) led to profitable title runs.
Tiago Splitter was requested if he thought Manu and Boris Diaw had been rooting for the Spurs or for him as he leads the Path Blazers.
He said that he was assured Manu was all in on the Spurs, however that he’d be higher off asking Boris Diaw after a few glasses of wine.
Sequence kicks off Sunday evening.
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