Spurs crush Trail Blazers 125-103 as Wembanyama dominates

The San Antonio Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers 125-103 on Saturday, turning a close game into a blowout with a 42-point third quarter, ESPN reported.

Victor Wembanyama scored 29 points with seven rebounds. The Spurs outscored the Trail Blazers 42-16 in the third period, turning a four-point halftime lead into a 30-point advantage.

Portland fell to 6-3 despite 12 points and 10 rebounds from Yang Hansen. The Trail Blazers had won three straight entering the game.

What the coverage missed

The 42-16 third quarter is the number. Portland scored 16 points in 12 minutes. San Antonio scored 42. That is not a run — it is a demolition. The Spurs did not sub out their starters until the fourth quarter was halfway over.

Wembanyama’s 29 points came on 17 shots. He did not force anything. He shot from the perimeter, he posted up, and he blocked shots on the other end. The box score says seven rebounds, but his presence altered at least a dozen Portland possessions.

The Spurs are 8-2. They have the best record in the Western Conference. Nobody is talking about it because the Thunder are also 8-2 and Oklahoma City has been the fashionable pick since last season. But San Antonio is right there, and Wembanyama is better than he was last year.

What I think

Wembanyama is the best player in basketball. I said it last year and I am saying it again. He affects every possession on both ends of the floor in a way that no other player does. The Spurs built a roster around him that shoots and defends, and they are 8-2 because of it.

The Trail Blazers are better than people expected, but this game exposed their ceiling. Yang Hansen is a nice player. He is not a franchise center. Portland needs a star, and they do not have one. The Spurs have one, and he is 22 years old.