Wembanyama's Spurs advance in NBA playoffs, 76ers stay alive

TL;DR

The San Antonio Spurs advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs with a 114-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, while the Philadelphia 76ers avoided elimination by defeating the Boston Celtics 113-97.

Key points

Spurs won 114-95 against Trail Blazers
Wembanyama contributed 17 points and 14 rebounds
76ers avoided elimination with 113-97 win over Celtics
Embiid scored 33 points for the 76ers
Spurs will face Nuggets or Timberwolves next

San Antonio SpursPortland Trail BlazersPhiladelphia 76ersBoston Celtics

Joel Embiid sparked the Philadelphia 76ers over Boston to avoid being eliminated from the NBA playoffs (Maddie Meyer) (Maddie Meyer/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP) The San Antonio Spurs punched their ticket to the second round of the NBA playoffs on Tuesday, leading wire to wire in a 114-95 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Victor Wembanyama scored 17 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked six shots to help the Spurs wrap up a 4-1 win in their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series. In the East, Philadelphia star Joel Embiid scored 33 points and handed out eight assists as the 76ers fended off elimination with a 113-97 victory over the Boston Celtics. The Spurs, who clawed back from a 19-point deficit to win game four, burst out of the blocks and pushed their lead to as many as 28 before taking a 65-45 lead into half-time. Portland unleashed an 11-0 run that cut a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit to nine, but the Spurs responded. De'Aaron Fox scored 13 of his 21 points in the final period and Wembanyama -- playing his second game after missing one with a concussion -- delivered two massive blocks as San Antonio won a playoff series for the first time since 2017. "It did feel like we let our foot off the gas," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "NBA games are long, it's not an excuse. That means we've got to be better, but zero lead changes is zero lead changes. "We have a lot of things we can be better at," Johnson added of his young team, who had six players score in double figures. "But we're ready to step up to the plate and swing." Seeded second in the West, they are chasing a sixth NBA title and their first since 2014. They will face either the or in the Western Conference semi-finals. The Timberwolves lead the Nuggets 3-2 in their series.

Q&A

How did the San Antonio Spurs secure their playoff advancement?

The Spurs secured their playoff advancement by leading wire to wire in a 114-95 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, winning the series 4-1.

What was Joel Embiid's performance in the 76ers' win against the Celtics?

Joel Embiid scored 33 points and provided eight assists to help the 76ers avoid elimination with a 113-97 victory over the Celtics.

Who will the Spurs face in the Western Conference semi-finals?

The Spurs will face either the Denver Nuggets or the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semi-finals.

What is the current status of the series between the Celtics and 76ers?

The series between the Celtics and 76ers is currently 3-2 in favor of the Celtics, with game six scheduled in Philadelphia.

Wembanyama's Spurs advance in NBA playoffs, 76ers stay alive

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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