On paper, Game 2 between the Spurs and Portland was supposed to follow the script from Game 1, with the Texans having already locked up the home win. Last night, though, it went a very different way – and a much uglier one. Scoot Henderson ended up owning the game, but the night will be remembered for Victor Wembanyama’s brutal fall in the second quarter, which ruled him out for the rest of the evening.
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Portland won 106-103 in San Antonio and levelled the series. But beyond the scoreline, it was one of those nights that leaves a mark. As if the game had been paused, then restarted without ever finding its rhythm again.
The moment everything stopped
Early in the second quarter, Wembanyama drove to the rim, took contact, and Jrue Holiday backed off in a way that left the Spurs star completely off balance. The Spurs giant pitched forward. No protection, no recovery, and his jaw hit the floor hard. The arena went quiet straight away as Wemby was unable even to stay upright on the way down.
Victor est rentre aux vestiaires !
Le choc picote ☹️ pic.twitter.com/IpwkUOCg8b— 50 Nuances 🇺🇸🏀 (@50NuancesDeNBA) April 22, 2026
Diagnosed with a concussion, he left the game immediately and went straight into protocol. From there, the bigger worry was obvious: his status for the rest of the series. Before that, he had played just 12 minutes. Five points, a few flashes. Nothing to suggest his absence would end up reshaping the closing stretch of the night.
San Antonio in control… then nothing
Even after the blow, the Spurs did not collapse right away. If anything, they pushed harder and opened the fourth quarter on a 13-0 run. When the lead stretched to 14, the game looked done – almost routine for a team that, until then, never seemed to lose in that position.
To put it another way, San Antonio had won 76 straight playoff games when leading by 14 or more in the fourth quarter. A stat that screams control, dominance, Spurs culture. And then, just as our Game 2 preview yesterday hinted, Mitch Johnson’s team hit a wall. The offence stalled, shots were forced, and possessions dragged on without any real plan. Portland smelled blood. They ran, they fought, and they ripped down rebounds from a Spurs side that suddenly looked lost.
Scoot Henderson catches fire
The night’s main man was the same player we highlighted in our Game 2 preview. Scoot Henderson was in that rare place players call the zone. He finished with 31 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three, plus one steal. But the numbers only tell part of the story. It was the edge, the aggression, the pace he forced on the game. He dictated the finish, just as he had at the end of Game 1, when he failed to steal it.
SCOOT HENDERSON TONIGHT:
31 POINTS
11/17 FG
5/9 3PTIS HE FINALLY PUTTING IT TOGETHER? 👀 pic.twitter.com/LCuw252k54
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 22, 2026
Alongside him, Jrue Holiday handed out the ball well, finishing with 16 points and 9 assists. Deni Avdija had a rough night but did not overdo it, and Robert Williams III delivered the killer blow with a powerful alley-oop and foul with 12 seconds left to put Portland ahead. The closing run was savage: 11-2. San Antonio did not score a field goal in the final 3:37, a familiar dark patch for them.
One last shot… and a symbol
Two seconds remained. Devin Vassell, who had played a strong game, got the chance to tie it and launched a well-defended three from Matisse Thybulle – not clean, but makeable. The ball hit the back rim and spun out. Game over, Portland win on the road, and with it the advantage swings to the Blazers.
Devin Vassell : 16 points on 6-16 shooting, 0-5 from 3, 4-5 from the FT line, 12 rebounds & 3 steals in 34 minutes (Missed the potential game-tying 3 as time ran out) pic.twitter.com/YF7gDz2Dmu
— Lee Harvey (@ben__zucker06) April 22, 2026
In another version of this story, that shot drops and we’re talking about a heist that almost happened, about a team showing real grit despite losing its franchise player. But this time, Portland walked out with the win – and a huge surge of momentum heading back to Oregon.
A series turning as it heads to Portland
Game 2 felt like more than a playoff game. It raised the obvious question: what does this series look like without Wembanyama? Concussion protocol means at least 48 hours out, then a string of tests. Nothing is certain for Game 3 in Portland, and even Game 4 next Sunday is far from guaranteed, with players typically taking 7 to 10 days to clear the protocol.
Without him, San Antonio is not quite the same team. Stephon Castle (18 points) and De’Aaron Fox (17 points) tried to pick up the slack. Luke Kornet did what was needed in an emergency. But the balance is fragile. Portland found a crack. In an NBA series, sometimes that’s all it takes. Game 3 on Friday. New arena. More pressure. Maybe a very different story.
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