The San Antonio Spurs secured the second seed in the Western Conference, while the Portland Trail Blazers claimed the seventh seed after winning a play-in game against the Phoenix Suns. The two teams are set to face off in the NBA playoffs.
Key points
San Antonio Spurs earned second seed in the Western Conference
Portland Trail Blazers finished eighth and won play-in game
Victor Wembanyama is a key player for the Spurs
Both teams are set to face off in the NBA playoffs
San Antonio SpursPortland Trail BlazersVictor WembanyamaPhoenix Suns
The San Antonio Spurs broke out this year as a contender for the NBA title, earning a second seed in the Western Conference behind Victor Wembanyama.
Portland finished eighth in the regular season in the West, then won on the road against the Phoenix Suns in the play-in game to claim the seventh seed.
Jeremy Cluff writes: "The Trail Blazers showed a lot of grit in their win over the Suns in the NBA Play-In Tournament, but the Spurs are a lot better than the Suns. Victor Wembanyama will be too much for Portland."
CBS Sports: Both writers predict Spurs will win series vs Trail Blazers
Brad Botkin and Sam Quinn both pick San Antonio to defeat Portland in the first-round NBA playoffs series.
NBA.com: Spurs will win series vs Trail Blazers in five games
Jeff Zillgitt writes: "The Spurs have too much offense and too much defense – ranked No. 3 in both categories – and too much Wembanyama."
Eric Rosales writes: "San Antonio has just enough veterans to help steer the ship should they hit rough waters, but make no mistake: this is the first rodeo for Wembanyama and emerging star Stephon Castle. They should be fine, but they’ll be adjusting to playoff hoops on the fly. Despite winning 62 games, I think it’s a little early to just have them run through Portland, who competed with them well during the regular season, holding them below their season scoring average in every game. I like Portland to steal one of the first two on the road, and ultimately turn this into a best-of-3 series before fizzling out — but not before you get paid!"
The Athletic: Spurs will take series from Trail Blazers, 4-0
Jared Weiss writes: "This is a Spurs sweep. Wembanyama’s defense counters Portland’s rim attack effectively, and the Spurs have the depth of perimeter defenders to stifle the Blazers offense. It will be exciting to watch Wembanyama try to score over Clingan and Robert Williams, two centers who could actually affect his drives and release points. Holiday and Camara will make it hard for the Spurs’ point guards to run the offense smoothly. But the Spurs have too much firepower and depth for the Blazers. When they get out and run, it’ll be lights out."
Fansided: Bet the Spurs to win series with Trail Blazers
Jahlil Williams writes: "As for Portland, they haven't even had a chance to see Victor Wembanyama since December 2024. Seriously. He's missed all four matchups between the two ball clubs since then. Their roster isn't built to handle him, so containing him was going to be a problem already, but it's going to be even more difficult without much experience against him."
