Wembanyama Returns as Spurs Rally Past Trail Blazers, Take 3-1 Lead

Victor Wembanyama’s return from concussion protocol turned a tight playoff series into a history-book collapse for Portland. The Spurs beat the Trail Blazers 114-93 in Game 4 at Moda Center, took a 3-1 lead and became the first team in NBA playoff history to trail by 15 or more at halftime and still win by 15 or more.

San Antonio trailed by 17 at the break and by 19 earlier in the game, but the second half belonged entirely to the Spurs. They opened the third quarter with a 13-0 run, tied the game at 74-74 on Wembanyama’s tip dunk at the end of the period and then buried Portland with a 73-35 advantage after halftime. The result was not just a comeback. It was a complete swing in pace, physicality and execution that left the Blazers with no answer once San Antonio tightened the screws.

Wembanyama changed the geometry of the matchup the moment he returned. He finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds, seven blocks and four steals, a stat line that put him in rare company and made him the youngest player ever, and only the 10th overall, to post 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks in a playoff game. De'Aaron Fox added 28 points, giving San Antonio another scorer Portland could not slow down once the Spurs found their rhythm.

Portland’s best answer came from Deni Avdija, who led the Blazers with 26 points, but the home side could not convert that into control of the game. The halftime lead vanished, the third quarter opened with a defensive breakdown, and the Blazers were forced to chase a team that had found its depth, rim protection and late-game composure at the same time. In a series defined by shifting edges, this was the night San Antonio made Portland pay for every missed possession.

The Spurs now head home with a chance to close out the series in Game 5 on Tuesday, April 28. Wembanyama, who said he was "very disappointing" about how his return-to-play process was handled, also said he did not want to become a distraction and that San Antonio’s medical staff treated him well. For Portland, the larger problem is the same one the numbers exposed in Game 4: once the pressure rises, the Spurs have the more reliable defense, the better late-game execution and the player who can change everything at the rim.