The NBA’s first day of play-in action did not disappoint in the slightest. With the intensity of the games taking a significant step up, the first two games came down to the wire in instant thrillers. After an overtime barnburner between the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat, the Portland Trail Blazers went toe to toe with the Phoenix Suns.
A battle of heavyweights saw Deni Avdija have arguably the best game of his life en route to a 114-110 victory. Now, as they are set up for a first-round clash against the San Antonio Spurs, Victor Wembanyama sees a lot of similarities between the two sides.
Victor Wembanyama Won’t Take the Blazers Lightly
The Trail Blazers were in a rough spot after parting ways with Damian Lillard. While they had a few building blocks, it took them a while to field a legitimately competitive team in the Western Conference.
However, this year, they took the jump from frisky to a bona fide playoff contender, going 42-40 over the course of the season to earn the No. 7 seed. They were led by Avdija, who earned the first All-Star selection of his career.
The Israeli-born superstar averaged career highs with 24.2 points and 6.7 assists per game, while also adding close to 7 rebounds per night. But he saved his pièce de résistance for the play-in game in Phoenix.
Leading from the front, he was a one-man wrecking crew against the Suns, scoring 41 points, while also chipping in 7 rebounds and 12 assists. He also scored the game-winning bucket, an and-one with 16.1 seconds on the clock to give them the lead for good.
Their prize is a date with the Spurs, who took a massive leap this season. Missing the playoffs for six consecutive years, they jumped to the No. 2 seed in the West, fighting till the finish line with the reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, for the top seed in the conference.
Their turnaround came from Wembanyama arriving as one of the best players in the sport and an improved supporting cast. From a more refined, three-level scoring offensive game to becoming the clear-cut best defender in the entire league, he led an MVP-esque campaign this season.
Seen as one of the biggest contenders for the title, it would be easy for San Antonio to write off the seventh-seeded Blazers, who barely squeaked by the Suns. But the French superstar isn’t willing to underestimate his opponents.
“Very intense. Not an easy team to play,” Wembanyama acknowledged. “They’re in the playoffs this year, but they’ve been a tanking team in past years and now a playoff team trying to contend.”
However, even during those stretches, Wemby believes the identity was still there.
Victor Wembanyama on playing the Trail Blazers:
“Very intense. Not an easy team to play. They’re in the playoffs this year but they’ve been a tanking team in past years and now a playoff team trying to contend. No matter through the years they’re still hard to play. They have an… pic.twitter.com/GVdNWSRL1f
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“No matter through the years, they’re still hard to play. They have an identity. They’re strong,” he explained A physical team through and through, Portland ranks No. 12 in defensive rating, something they have consistently hung their hats on.
But the Spurs are ranked as the third-best team in defensive rating, which should give them an edge. Add in the wealth of offensive options for San Antonio, and they should be able to take care of the Blazers.
However, the youth of their roster isn’t taking any chances, as they get set for their first real playoff threat.
