Spurs cruise past Trail Blazers in Game 5 to clinch series win

Despite a couple of scares earlier in the matchup, the Spurs cruised to the second round of the NBA Playoffs after beating the Portland Trail Blazers 114-95 in Game 5 on Tuesday night.

While the five-game series has had some close calls, the clinching win for the Spurs didn’t have that level of drama, as San Antonio jumped out to a 12-2 start and never looked back.

Victor Wembanyama, despite suffering a concussion in Game 2, remained productive on both ends in the close-out game, finishing with 17 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks.

It was a team effort for the Spurs, as Justin Champagnie, Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper all finished with double-digit scoring marks.

Though the Blazers cut into a 20-point fourth-quarter Spurs lead, bringing it all the way down to nine with eight minutes to go, the comeback effort was in vain as San Antonio held steady.

Breakout forward Deni Avdija led Portland in scoring with 22.

With the win, the Spurs became the second team to clinch a spot in the second round, joining the Oklahoma City Thunder, who completed a sweep of the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. The Spurs await the winner of the series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets, with the former currently leading 3-2.