The Portland Trail Blazers watched a 15-point third-quarter lead disappear in a 120-108 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night at Moda Center, and interim coach Tiago Splitter said the game turned on physicality, rebounding and missed chances.
“They were the most physical team in the second half,” Splitter said. “They played better and made shots.”
San Antonio, playing without Victor Wembanyama because of a concussion, flipped the game with a 21-5 run after trailing 82-67 and then pulled away behind Stephon Castle’s 33 points and Dylan Harper’s 27 points and 10 rebounds.
Splitter credited the Spurs’ young guards for the surge. “Harper and Castle were unbelievable,” he said. “Getting to the line, shooting threes, being physical on defense, rebounding, pushing DC around.”
That pressure showed up everywhere in the second half. Portland struggled to contain dribble penetration and could not finish possessions, while San Antonio consistently turned loose balls into extra scoring chances.
“They were driving, kicking, driving, and kicking. Made shots,” Splitter said. “We tried to get to the rim. We were not efficient. Not our best night.”
The Blazers also ran into trouble trying to generate a response in the fourth quarter, even as the Spurs kept extending the game’s margin through second-chance points and transition push. Splitter said he did what he could with his remaining timeouts, but the run never stopped.
“Yeah, I called timeouts, but then I have two left for the whole quarter,” he said. “We need to get stops and runs, and we couldn’t get any stop.”
San Antonio’s size and versatility also forced Portland into different looks, particularly after Luke Kornet entered the game in place of Wembanyama. Splitter said Portland tried to adjust, but the matchup never really settled.
“First, I thought going small, I feel like Rob has that versatility to be up and down and run with the smalls,” he said. “Then make DC play with Kornet, just balance that size over there and try to win that matchup.”
Deni Avdija struggled to find rhythm, finishing 3-for-15 while getting to the foul line often, and Splitter said the Spurs’ defense played a major role. “They did a good job. Shrink the paint, make it crowded,” he said. “We missed so many easy shots at the rim.”
With Portland now down 2-1 in the series, Splitter said the locker room is focused on turning the loss into fuel. “When you lose, it’s always like this,” he said. “We’re just going to use these as fuel and bring the energy Sunday.”
He also spoke directly to the fans after the franchise’s first home playoff appearance since 2021. “The fans were amazing. They brought the energy. They were there with us,” Splitter said. “We’re going to need that again Sunday.”
