NBA PLAYOFFS: WEMBANYAMA, FOX LEAD SPURS COMEBACK TO TAKE 3-1SERIES CONTROL.

The San Antonio Spurs stormed back from a 19-point deficit to defeat the Portland Trail
Blazers 114-93, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in their playoff series.
Victor Wembanyama marked his return from injury with a dominant all-around display,
finishing with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and seven blocks. “I had lots of emotions in me
before the game, obviously… excitement, frustration, so I let it all out tonight,” he
said.
The French star also voiced concerns about his recovery process, adding, “I’ve been
really healthy, starting on day one after the injury,” while admitting he was “unhappy”
with aspects of the concussion protocol.
De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with 28 points as the Spurs overwhelmed Portland in
the second half, outscoring them 73-35 to seal a stunning turnaround.
Reflecting on the comeback, Fox said: “When we got in that hole, we just had to
figure out a way to play the right way… Third quarter, we played the right way.”
The Spurs are now one win away from the Western Conference semi-finals.
Elsewhere, the Boston Celtics thrashed the Philadelphia 76ers 128-96, also to move 3-1
up in their series, with Payton Pritchard scoring 32 points off the bench and Jayson
Tatum added 30 points and 11 assists.