Portland suffered its second consecutive loss on Sunday, getting routed 125-103 on its home floor by San Antonio to fall to a 6-3 record. Coming off Saturday's loss to the Lakers, the Trail Blazers looked utterly devoid of energy, completely collapsing during the second and third quarters against the Western Conference champions. San Antonio poured in 87 points across those two middle frames, building a staggering 35-point cushion in a contest they led from start to finish.
Deni Avdija struggled once again, finishing with 15 points in 24 minutes of action. The Israeli forward shot 5-of-13 from the field (2-of-3 from beyond the arc and 3-of-4 from the line), while adding 4 rebounds, one assist, and three turnovers. San Antonio, also playing on the second night of a back-to-back set, locked up its eighth consecutive victory to improve to 8-2, powered by an unstoppable Victor Wembanyama who notched 29 points in just 24 minutes.
Spurs surge in high-scoring middle quarters
Devin Vassell scored 15 points for San Antonio - a team that eliminated Portland in the playoffs last year following a slightly heated series - arriving in Portland on Sunday night eager to establish who reigns supreme in the West. Following a tightly contested opening quarter that ended with the Spurs holding a narrow 22-20 edge, the visitors unleashed a massive run. San Antonio dominated the second quarter 42-29 to take full command heading into the halftime break. The onslaught continued in the third period, which the Spurs took 45-27 to blow the game wide open and allow both starting lineups to rest throughout garbage time in the fourth quarter.
Wembanyama barely broke a sweat on his way to 29 points, needing just 13 field goal attempts (9-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-6 from deep). Vassell added 15 points for San Antonio, which also got 14 points apiece from Stephon Castle and Julian Champagnie, along with 13 from Dylan Harper. The Trail Blazers struggled mightily from long range, shooting a paltry 9-of-35 (26%) compared to the Spurs' 17-of-44 (44%) clip. San Antonio also dominated the glass with a 51-38 rebounding advantage, including 14 offensive boards.
Avdija struggles as Blazers look ahead
While Avdija continued a worrying trend in the turnover department, his teammates offered little relief: Scoot Henderson scored 13 points, Damian Lillard had 12, and Jrue Holiday was held to 11. Yang Hansen recorded his first career double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) during garbage time, but the Trail Blazers face serious cause for concern ahead of a daunting back-to-back set against Oklahoma City on Tuesday and Wednesday.