Stephon CastlePlayer·Stephon Castle chose Game 3 of the playoffs for his breakout, pouring in a playoff-career-high 33 points to lead the San Antonio SpursTeam·San Antonio Spurs to a 120-108 victory over the Portland Trail BlazersTeam·Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. Without their Defensive Player of the Year Victor WembanyamaPlayer·Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs rallied from 15 points down to seize a 2-1 series lead, showcasing the depth that carried them to a 62-20 regular season and the No. 2 seed in the West.
Castle, the Spurs' rookie sensation, attacked the rim relentlessly and drained catch-and-shoot threes, finishing with efficient stroke on 12-of-18 shooting. His explosion off the bench ignited San Antonio's second-half surge, as the Spurs outscored Portland 68-49 after halftime. Dylan HarperPlayer·Dylan Harper, another rookie spark, delivered a historic bench performance with key contributions that complemented Castle's dominance, underscoring San Antonio's youth movement in these playoffs.
The Trail Blazers, the No. 8 seed at 42-40, built a commanding lead early, leaning on their paint presence and transition buckets. But San Antonio's switch-heavy defense clamped down, forcing turnovers and rim pressure that Portland couldn't match. The Spurs won two of three regular-season meetings without Wembanyama due to his injuries, a blueprint they executed masterfully here.
Wembanyama sat out, listed as questionable after sustaining a concussion in Game 1 on April 22. Spurs coach Mitch JohnsonCoach·Mitch Johnson provided an optimistic update: "He's looking good... he is following each protocol and he is progressing." Johnson added, "It's the playoffs -- even if we didn't play a lot without (Wembanyama in the regular season) -- we got to figure it out... We have to just stick to what we do."
San Antonio's resilience without their 7-foot-4 unicorn speaks volumes about their roster construction. They enter Game 4 with momentum, positioned to advance deeper into the postseason as a top seed. Portland, already without Damian LillardPlayer·Damian Lillard for the season following his Achilles injury last September, faces mounting pressure to steal a win on the road and even the series. D. Jones GarciaPlayer·D. Jones Garcia remains sidelined for the Spurs with ankle surgery from February, but their depth held firm.
This clash highlights the West's parity: the Spurs dominated the regular season but split the series' first two games, with Portland stealing Game 2 106-103 on April 21. Game 4 looms as a pivot point—San Antonio can push toward a gentleman’s sweep, while the Blazers fight to extend their surprising run. Castle's playoff emergence and Harper's rookie fireworks signal the Spurs' future is now, even amid injury uncertainty.
Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Bismack Biyombo on the Spurs bench. March 16, 2026. ZUMA Press/IMAGO
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