Medical clearance and the early deficit 
Victor Wembanyama has been cleared to return after concussion protocol. The series swung with it. San Antonio now leads 3-1 after a road win, 114-93. The French big man put up 27 points, 11 rebounds and 7 blocks in 34 minutes. De’Aaron Fox added 28 points and 7 assists.
The first half told a different story. Portland ripped out to a 9-0 start and controlled the tempo early, with Jerami Grant and Shaedon Sharpe doing most of the damage. The home side kept finding answers, and the lead blew out to 19. It was 58-39 at the break. A 13-0 run summed up just how lopsided it had become. Deni Avdija was active all over the floor, finishing, setting up plays and helping Portland keep hold of the edge, while Jrue Holiday chipped in from the perimeter.
The numbers flip, and so does the game
The third quarter changed everything. San Antonio wiped out the deficit in an eight-minute spell, ripping off a 13-0 burst of its own. Fox, Champagnie and Vassell started hitting from outside, the early mess was cleaned up, and the Spurs moved ahead 64-62. Stephon Castle helped steady things too.
Then San Antonio locked in defensively. Wembanyama came up with three straight steals in the lane. An offensive rebound and putback left things tied at 74-74 after three. The fourth quarter confirmed the shift. A 16-3 run shut Portland down for good, stretching the lead to 90-77. Deni Avdija was then ejected after picking up his sixth foul.
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Individual report and the odd moments
Wembanyama’s line showed a major second-half surge. His impact grew over the final 24 minutes. Fox also looked back to his best, knocking down 11 of 17 shots after a run of three games with a lower scoring return.
Portland tried a strange defensive wrinkle, with veteran Jrue Holiday occasionally tasked with checking Wembanyama. It was a mismatch on paper, and not much better in practice. Holiday finished with 20 points.
There was one last flashpoint before the buzzer. A physical clash between Stephon Castle and Deni Avdija brought the officials in, and both players were hit with technical fouls. That was that for Game 4. Game 5 is set for Tuesday.
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