Stephon Castle Dropped 33 and the Spurs Just Won a Playoff Game Without Wembanyama. Portland's in Trouble.
The San Antonio Spurs walked into the Moda Center on Friday night without their best player and walked out with a 120-108 win and a 2-1 series lead. Stephon Castle went off for 33 points to lead the comeback, and rookie reserve Dylan Harper added 27 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. This is exactly the kind of performance that wins playoff games, especially when your star is sitting in the concussion protocol chair.
Victor Wembanyama was ruled out before tipoff after suffering a head injury in the second quarter of Game 2 on Tuesday. For most teams, losing your franchise guy in the playoffs is catastrophic. For the Spurs? It became an opportunity. San Antonio trailed by 15 points in the third quarter, down 82-67, but then the offense completely shifted. The Spurs clawed back to take an 88-87 lead heading into the fourth, with Harper putting on a clinic in the third. He scored 12 points and grabbed four boards in that quarter alone to spark the turnaround.
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The rookie posted San Antonio's first 10 points of the fourth quarter, and the Spurs went absolutely nuclear. A 15-1 run built a 108-96 lead with 5:48 left to play, and Portland never really threatened after that. Jrue Holiday scored a layup with 2:47 remaining to cut it to nine, but that was as close as it got. De'Aaron Fox added 18 points for the Spurs, Luke Kornet posted 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Devin Vassell chipped in 11.
Portland had all the weapons on display too. Holiday led the Blazers with 29 points, Scoot Henderson added 21, Deni Avdija scored 19 and handed out nine assists, and Jerami Grant contributed 13. Robert Williams finished with 11, and Donovan Clingan pulled down 11 boards. It wasn't enough. Game 4 tips off in Portland on Sunday, and right now the momentum belongs entirely to San Antonio.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.