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San Antonio Spurs

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Brandon Lucero here, Journalist and Photographer dedicated to covering the San Antonio Spurs. I served onboard the USS San Antonio while in the United States Navy! I utilized my GI Bill and went to college where I received my Associates and Bachelors degrees in Journalism and Photography!

  • Spurs Vs Wolves Round 2 Preview!

    The (#2) San Antonio Spurs are taking on (#6) Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Both teams stack up very well on paper and are legitimate NBA title contenders. According to NBA.com, “The Spurs are third in the NBA in offensive rating at 116.6 and the Timberwolves are 6th at 112.8.” This will be critical going forward as the offensive rating will take a step back with Minnesota not having A. Edwards to start the second round as well as both teams keying in on weaknesses. As far as defense, the Spurs ranked second in the NBA at 102.2 and the Wolves ranked seventh at 108.2. Both are top ten defensive teams, so the opponent that can dictate defesive assignments will control this series. Net rating has the Spurs at second and the Wolves at third. This shows that both teams if on a heater, can get a big lead! The team that keeps the big lead could be the victor of the series! The battle of the bench for each team will be key. NBA.com ranked the Spurs at having the number one bench in the NBA, and the Wolves having the number nineteenth. This stat is going off points per game during the regular season. Minnesota’s bench has stepped up during the playoffs so depending how each teams bench contributes, this could factor in on swinging the series!

    Keys to victory for the Spurs: 1. The Spurs must take advantage of Edwards not being there for the first game or two. Look for the Spurs guards to funnel everything to Wemby early and often. San Antonio needs to start off 2-0 in order to get momentum early. 2. The Spurs bench will be key in the Spurs getting and keeping momentum. Sixth man of the year award winner K. Johnson will be a big factor in the Spurs starting the series up 2-0. Also, if any Spurs get in foul trouble San Antonio being able to rely on dept could make trouble for a thin Wolves team. 3. D. Fox will be the tipping point in advancing to the next round. He is one of the Spurs with the most playoff experience and San Antonio’s closer down the stretch of games! Look for him to take advantage of his matchups in the fourth quarter if the Spurs are to advance to the Western finals! Utilizing the Fox and Wemby pick and roll late in games could get the Spurs stars the momentum they needs in order to close out the series . 4. Wemby gotta stay healthy and be the defensive anchor the Spurs need to sustain their winning ways! Wemby is the Defensive Player of the Year, and an out of this world talent. San Antonio needs him to protect the paint, as well as protect home court advantage! 5. Having the appropriate fear will help San Antonio keep the necessary intensity needed to get past the Wolves. Minnesota is playing like the, “We Believe Warriors,” and that can be dangerous if the wrong approach to the game is not met!

    Prediction: Spurs in Seven! As Minnesota gets healthy with Ant-man coming back the Spurs will win a tough series against a tough opponent in game 7 at home! Look for the 3-headed guard rotation of Fox, Castle and Harper to settle in and play solid defense down the stretch of games!

  • Spurs win series in Five against Blazers!

    Spurs: The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Portland Trailblazers 114 to 95 in game five and get to move on to the second round of the playoffs! V. Wembanyama (17pts,14rebs,6blks) only took seven shots, but his defense really got the Spurs going in this game. This is the first playoff series win since 2017 for San Antonio. D. Fox (21pts,9ast) turned it on in the fourth quarter and helped close out the Blazers after Portland cut the lead to nine in the fourth. The pick and roll with him and Wemby is something the team rarely utilized during the regular season, but it has been on full display in the fourth quarter of this series. S. Castle (15pts,5ast) and J. Champagnie (19pts,7rebs) played solid defense and made the most of their oppurtunities. D. Harper (17pts) K. Johnson (7pts,5rebs) and L. Kornet (5pts,3rebs,3ast) all kept momentum for the Spurs off the bench. The Spurs play either the Timberwolves or Nuggets in the second round! No matter who they play the intensity and pressure will pick up so the need to pay attention to detail will be necessary in order for the Spurs to advance!

    Blazers: Portland is a tough and physical young team. They will get back D. Lillard next year and can make a decent jump if the cards fall their way. D. Avdija (22pts) played his heart out as well as the rest of the Blazers. They have young talent in S. Henderson (5pts) and D. Clingan (10pts) so look for Portland to be very competive next year! Hopefully Coach Splitter gets another chance to continue being the Head coach for this team.

  • Wemby returns as He and Fox ignite Spurs comeback!

    Spurs: The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Portland Trailblazers 114 to 93 as V. Wembanyama (27pts,12rebs,4stl,7blks) and D. Fox (28pts,6rebs,7ast) ignite a furious comeback after being down by 17 points at halftime! This comeback was the second largest in franchise history as only the 2012 Spurs had a bigger comeback at 20. The Blazers had no answer for Wemby or Fox, as both were unstoppable in the second half. S. Castle (16pts,8ast) and D. Vassell (11pts) were solid in the third quarter and helped turn momentum by playing great defense! The Spurs scored 73 points compaired to 35 for the Blazers after halftime! Solid defense lead to great offense as the Spurs just played thier game and let the results do the talking!

    Blazers: The Blazers played a solid first half with D. Avdija (26pts) and D. Holiday (20pts,6rebs) as well as J. Grant (17pts) helping the Blazers go up 17 points at half. The Spurs put pressure on the Blazers and Portland just couldn’t respond! S, Henderson (0pts) was ineffective all game. San Antonio has a chance to close the series Tuesday.

  • Harper and Castle tell Blazers and NBA, “We Here!”

    Spurs: The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Portland Trailblazers 120 to 108 in a dramatic comeback where both D. Harper (27pts,10rebs) and S. Castle (33pts,5ast) become the youngest duo in NBA history to score 25 points each in a playoff game! Castle was consistent all game and kept the Spurs close early, even while locking up D. Avdija (19pts) on 3 for 15 shooting. Harper caught fire in the third when the Spurs were down 15 points and helped bring them back to take the lead and keep it! D. Fox (18pts,6ast) was steady for the Spurs despite being in foul trouble most of the game. L. Kornet (14pts,10rebs,2blks) played like the best backup center in the NBA. He was an anchor for the Spurs and showed the heart of a champion. D. Vassell (11pts) and J. Champagnie (9pts) hit timely shots for the Spurs while playing solid defense. The next man up mentality was on full display for San Antonio. The big question is, will Wemby play game 4?

    Blazers: S. Henderson (21pts) and D. Holiday (29pts) played well and even had San Antonio on the ropes in the third quarter. G. Williams III (11pts) was a presence down low for Portland. Avdija scored most of his points from the line going 12-16, but it wasn’t enough to get the win for the Blazers!

  • Spurs concussed as Scoot has best game as a pro and Blazers tie series!

    Spurs: The Portland Trailblazers defeated the San Antonio Spurs 106 to 103 as Wemby leaves game early with concussion! Wemby hit his face on a hard fall and never returned to the game! He was in concussion protocol and could be doubtful for game 3. D. Fox (17pts,3stl) played well enough for the Spurs to get the win but not well enough in the fourth quarter to go up 2-0. San Antonio had a 14 point lead heading into the final 8 minutes of the game. That is when Portland turned on the defense and pushed the pace as the Spurs offense lost it’s confidence. Poor execution and lack of confidence was to blame for the loss. S. Castle (18pts,7rebs,5ast) played through ups and downs in his second ever playoff game. At times he was taking the ball strong to the hole and at other times he was depending on the refs to call a foul. Playoff basketball will teach these young Spurs that contact will be present on every possession! D. Vassell (16pts,12rebs) played well in the Spurs loss. He missed the game tying three pointer but helped put San Antonio in position to win the game! L. Kornet (10pts,9rebs) did a decent job filling in for Wemby, but at times was out muscled by Portlands bigs. The Spurs bench had a better game scoring 48 points but it wasn’t enough to help push San Antonio over the edge and get the dub! Hopefully Wemby is able to play, but even if he is not Portland has gotten the Spurs attention!

    Blazers: Portland played a great game and relied on their defense and young star S. Henderson (31pts) to get the win. He played like a third overall pick in the draft that saw Wemby go number one. D. Holiday (16pts,5rebs,9ast) played like a two time champion. He was all over the court and made smart sound decisions that helped Portland get the win. R. Williams III (11pts,9rebs) was once again solid off the bench and plays good in crunch time for the Blazers. D. Avdija (14pts) had an off night shooting 5-13 from the field but will play better now that the series goes back to Portland. The Blazers played a great game and now it is up to San Antonio to adjust and counter attack in a hostile arena!

  • Wemby steadies Spurs against Blazers in Game 1!

    Spurs: The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Portland Trailblazers 111 to 98 in game 1 of the Western semi playoffs! V. Wembanyama (35pts,5rebs,2blks) was sensational in his first playoff game! He broke the great Tim Duncan’s franchise record for scoring points in a first playoff game, which was set at 32 points back in 1998! The Spurs started slow but soon got momentum with D. Fox (17pts,5rebs,8ast) and S. Castle (17pts,7ast,7rebs) helping steady the ship with stellar play! L. Kornet (10pts,6rebs) and D. Vassell (15pts) each looked like they belonged in the playoffs! Game 1 is always a feeling out process so the key to going up 2-0 for the Spurs will be keeping the Blazers shooting under 43% as Portland shot just under that clip at 42.9% from the field. The Spurs won the pace scoring 20 fastbreak points to 12 and controlling momentum! Look for the Spurs bench to have a better game 2!

    Blazers: The Blazers would not go away even after going down 21 points! D. Avdija (30pts) and S. Henderson (18pts) were attacking all night. R. Williams III (11pts) was solid off the bench. Portland was 10/38 from deep compared to San Antonio being 15/33. Look for the Blazers to adjust match-ups and counter attack. The question is, what can they do about the Alien?

  • Spurs vs Blazers Preview!

    The San Antonio Spurs will be taking on the Portland Trailblazers in the first round of the Western conference playoffs! The #2 Spurs have won 2 or 3 games against the #7 Blazers this year. All three games have been without Wemby, so it will be interesting how the Spurs and Blazers matchup. The Spurs are 4th in the NBA in offensive rating and 3rd in the NBA in defensive rating. That means that the Spurs are championship contenders in that teams usually win the championship that are top 5 in both offensive rating as well as defensive rating. Portland is a top 20 in both offensive and defensive rating but not elite in either category!

    These are my top 3 reason the Spurs will win this series in five games! 1. Having Wemby for the series against the Blazers will help the Spurs get over the top and ultimately defeat Portland. The Blazers have a slow starting center and might have to put a smaller wing on Wemby. More than likely they will start with D. Clingan and then have J. Grant or another player guard him. This will have so much attention on Wemby that the Blazers defense will be compromised. 2. The Spurs guards will push the pace and attack the Blazers constantly! This will open up three point shots for D. Vassell and J. Champagnie, as well as other Spurs. D. Fox has playoff experience and will be an X-factor. Knowing he will and can, take over a game in the fourth quarter will help push the Spurs pace. If the Spurs hit their open shots the game could be a blowout! 3. The Spurs bench will be an X-factor in this series! The Spurs will have future sixth man of the year K. Johnson handling business and finally getting playoff minutes! His energy as well as H. Barnes and L. Kornet helping to keep leads will be big. Also don’t forget D. Harper being a steady force off the bench, this will help dictate this series. The Spurs had a top 6 bench this season and with so much experience coming off the bench, this will help San Antonio get into a groove when the starters sit!

  • Spurs loose to Nuggets in sloppy game where Wemby sits and Jokic plays!

    Spurs: The San Antonio Spurs lost to the Denver Nuggets 128 to 118 in a game where both Wemby and L. Kornet did not play and N. Jokic played the first half. D. Fox (24pts) paced the Spurs as well as K. Johnson (18pts) and D. Vassell (19pts) but it was not enough to beat the B-squad for a Nuggets team that has won 12 strait going into the playoffs! C. Bryant (13pts) played well and really gained confidence these last few weeks with his game. He will be big against certain match-ups depending on who the Spurs face. No team should every look ahead, but the Denver Nuggets seemed to want to face the Spurs in the second round if the two were to meet. Be careful what you ask for!

    Nuggets: N. Jokic (23pts) only played the first half, but it was enough to control the game and get a good lead on the Spurs. The Spurs did not have anyone to match-up with the former MVP. Denver seems to think they have a favorable math-up with San Antonio if the two are to meet in round two. First they have a tough and battle tested Wolves team that is getting healthy at the right time! It will be a dog fight that Denver cannot overlook! Once again, be careful what you ask for!

  • WEMVP Returns as the Spurs defeat Flagg and the Mavs!

    Spurs: The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Dallas Mavericks 139 to 120 in what might be Wemby’s last game of the regular season! WEMVP (40pts,13rebs,5ast,2blks) was spectacular for the Spurs and finished with the 65 games played. The minimum needed in order to be eligible for defensive player of the year, as well as MVP! S. Castle sat out another game, but the Spurs are deep at point guard! D. Fox (18pts,10ast) and D. Harper (13pts,6ast) made sure the Spurs would win this game! J. Champagnie (14pts) and C. Bryant (12pts) played solid defense and hit timely shots. The bench unit was awesome again with K. Johnson (17pts,6rebs) and H. Barnes (15pts) keeping up constant pressure on a Mavs team that will be looking towards the off-season! The Spurs have won 30 of thier last 33 and are playing great basketball with one game left in the regular season!

    Dallas: The Dallas Mavericks have a future star in C. Flagg (33pts,6rebs,5ast) whom is rookie of the year! They also have young talent in R. Nembhard (13pts) and AJ. Johnson (13pts) so the off-season will be one to watch! A top draft pick and some healthy players returning will make this team more competitive next year and start a rivalry renewed with San Antonio!

  • No Area 51, No Problem! Short handed Spurs beat up on Blazers!

    Spurs: The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Portland Trailblazers 112 to 101 as a short handed Spurs team handled business without Wemby or Castle! D. Fox (25pts,7ast,3stls) lead the way for the Spurs without two starters. He was aggressive early and set the tone for the Spurs. This is the version of the All-Star guard that most critics have wanted to see. Having Fox be assertive and set the tone early will help him in not getting lost, or falling in the motions for the playoffs. He will be very important going forward, especially against better teams in the playoffs if the Spurs are to make a deep run! D. Vassell (14pts,8rebs) and D. Harper (13pts,6rebs) were solid for the short handed Spurs and helped the Spurs get a lead on the Blazers. L. Kornet (10pts,5rebs,6ast) held down the center position for the Spurs while Wemby was out! He did just about everything for the starting unit! The Spurs Bench unit outscore the Blazers bench 50 to 10, as K. Johnson (20pts,8rebs) and C. Bryant (17pts,5rebs) played fantastic and helped the Spurs keep the lead. Johnson is still a leading candidate for sixth man of the year. The race is close and is coming down to the wire at the end of the regular season! The Spurs have won 29 of 32 games and are on a collision course with Denver in the Second round of the Playoffs!

    Trailblazers: The Blazers were without a few key players as well but D. Avdija (29pts,6rebs,6ast) S. Henderson (20pts) and D. Holiday (13pts,10rebs,6ast) helped keep the Blazers within striking distance! This team is currently in the playin tournament for the NBA playoffs and could be a first round opponent for the Spurs. They have a lot of good young talent and a good young head coach in T. Splitter! Watch out for the Trailblazers in a few years!

    Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) is fouled by San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, April 8, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)