After a brutal Spurs display that saw them claw back from 16 down to win 114-93 in Portland, Victor Wembanyama’s return gave Mitch Johnson’s men exactly the lift they needed as they tore through the second half. They can close out the series at home tonight. Breakdown, player to watch and the mathodds pick.
What we learned from Game 4
The Spurs, after a slow start in the first half of Game 4, absolutely shredded Portland’s defence after the break. A massive 73-35 swing in their favour, driven by huge defensive plays, a slick offence and, above all, ridiculous shot-making.
The driving force behind San Antonio’s win was Victor Wembanyama, who put up a cartoonish stat line: 27 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 7 blocks. Even more impressive given he was coming back from a concussion protocol that kept him out of Game 3. He also spoke in the press conference about how the NBA handled the situation.
Les highlights de Victor Wembanyama (27 points, 11 rebonds, 7 contres) dans le Game 4 a Portland :pic.twitter.com/vcZiNeZDiQ
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) April 26, 2026
Away from the Alien, De’Aaron Fox stood out and sparked his team in the third quarter, finishing with 28 points, 7 assists and a nasty shooting line (11/17 from the field). Devin Vassell was valuable too, with 11 points and timely clutch buckets. Stephon Castle kept rolling with 16 points and 8 assists, then even tangled with Avdija late on. It was a full team effort, and the comeback really began early in the third.
OHHH CASTLE ET AVDIJA QUI S’EMBROUILLENT !!! 🫣🫣🫣 pic.twitter.com/dg25r4TQmX
— 50 Nuances 🇺🇸🏀 (@50NuancesDeNBA) April 26, 2026
For the Blazers, this matchup is just too tough. After a strong first half and a 19-point lead, they fell apart. Defensively, the effort vanished; offensively, the ball stopped moving; and the paint was shut down completely.
Moments after the Avdija-Castle shuffle: Wemby blocks Deni, gives him a look, draws a foul on him, and then shouts from the floor pic.twitter.com/SrI8W9w9TF
— Josh Paredes (@Josh810) April 26, 2026
The hill was too steep for Scoot Henderson, who finished with 0 points in 27 minutes after putting up 31 and 21 in Games 2 and 3. In his absence, Deni Avdija got back closer to his usual level with 26 points and 7 rebounds (8/14 shooting), as he’s supposed to be Portland’s main offensive threat.
The problem is Avdija is carrying far too much on his own. Only Jrue Holiday (20 points), who was sharp in the first half, and Jerami Grant (17 points) really showed up. Nobody else on the roster got past 10 points. Add in 18 turnovers and it’s no surprise the Blazers had no answer after the break.
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The key matchup in Game 5
The duel that will decide everything: Victor Wembanyama against Deni Avdija. In Game 4, Wembanyama was simply unstoppable with 27 points, 12 rebounds, 7 blocks and 4 steals. Avdija, though, didn’t have the tools to make himself felt in the paint. Portland will be looking for answers to slow down the French star: early double-teams, tactical fouls, anything to knock Wemby out of rhythm from the first few possessions.
But if Avdija, off the back of a strong 26-point Game 4, can keep that level up while forcing Wembanyama away from the rim, Portland still has a shot to hang around. The issue is that Wembanyama looks to have found top gear at exactly the worst time for the Blazers.
Spurs player to watch: De’Aaron Fox
Fox was the spark for San Antonio’s comeback at the start of the third quarter, taking control when Portland still thought it had the game under wraps. His job tonight is simple: don’t let the Blazers settle. If Fox comes out hot and sets the pace early, Portland won’t have time to build the belief needed to survive the full 48. Get Fox to 25 points or more and the Spurs can finish this before the night is over.
Blazers player to watch: Scoot Henderson
0 points in 27 minutes. Zero. It’s been the most alarming performance of the series for Portland. After 31 points in Game 2 and 21 in Game 3, Henderson completely vanished at the worst possible time. The Blazers badly need him to rediscover his scoring touch tonight because without him, Avdija is once again left on his own, and this roster doesn’t have the depth to cover for it.
Scoot Henderson today:
0 points
0/7 FG
0/3 3PT
-21(Via @realapp ) pic.twitter.com/vbQzkhQq9X
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 26, 2026
If Henderson rediscovers the scoring form he showed in Games 2 and 3, Portland can at least stand up to the Spurs’ firepower. If the blank night happens again, this series is done.
The tactical tweak to watch
The big question for Chauncey Billups is ball movement. 18 turnovers in Game 4, forced by the Spurs, is a killer against a San Antonio team that turns every mistake into a lethal transition chance. Billups has to simplify Portland’s offence: less isolation, more movement, and above all get Henderson involved so he can rediscover the aggression that lit him up early in the series.
For Mitch Johnson, the brief is simpler: bring the same defensive intensity from the second half of Game 4, keep the tempo high to suffocate Portland, and let Wembanyama do the rest. Home court matters here, and San Antonio has been at its best in this series in front of its own fans. The AT&T Center should be rocking tonight for a possible close-out game.
mathodds prediction
San Antonio wins, series over 4-1 for the Spurs.
The 3 keys:
- Wembanyama in full control. Back from concussion protocol with a ridiculous stat line in Game 4, the big man has no reason to ease off. Portland hasn’t found a way to stop him in two games — there’s no reason to think it will find one in 48 hours.
- Henderson has to come back to life, and that’s far from a given. After a zero-point night, the mental load on the young guard is huge. Walking into a win-or-go-home game on the road against the best defence of the second round is about as awkward as it gets for a player still learning the playoff grind.
- The AT&T Center as a shield. San Antonio at home in a series-clincher, with Wembanyama rolling and Fox flying — it’s almost too neat a setup for the Spurs. Portland would need a collective miracle. And in the playoffs, miracles don’t come with a receipt.
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