Spurs Fall vs. Blazers as Victor Wembanyama Sits

Victor Wembanyama sat from the sidelines as the San Antonio Spurs lost to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 30, 2023

Spurs Fall vs. Blazers as Victor Wembanyama Sits /

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San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are back in the loss column after a 124-118 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday at the Moda Center.

The loss evens the two-game series at one apiece as the two teams leave the pacific northwest.

While the game was close in the first quarter, the Spurs slipped in the second as the Blazers took a 15-point lead into halftime. That deficit ballooned to as much as 28 points, but the Spurs began to chip away.

Tre Jones Malcolm Brogdon Blazers — Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

By the end of the third quarter, what was once a 28-point deficit turned into 10, giving the Spurs some life going into the final 12 minutes. However, a 7-0 run midway in the quarter from the Blazers pushed the Spurs away for good.

San Antonio had a 9-1 run in the final quarter, but it was merely for show, making the score look closer than what the game actually was.

Keldon Johnson led all scorers off the bench with 29 points, while Devin Vassell added 22. Victor Wembanyama missed the game nursing the ankle injury he suffered a week ago.

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For the Blazers, Jerami Grant and Malcolm Brogdon led the way with 27 points apiece. No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson had a double-double, scoring 22 points and dishing out 11 assists.

With the loss, the Spurs head back to the drawing board, but there is a lot of positives to draw from after this two-game trip to Portland.

The Spurs are back in action on Sunday when they host the Boston Celtics. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT from the Frost Bank Center.

Published Dec 30, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.