Spurs Dominate Blazers in Game 1 Blowout

San Antonio cruises to double-digit victory in playoff opener

Apr. 19, 2026 at 3:33pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the intense action and competition of an NBA playoff game, with sharp, overlapping shapes and planes in deep navy, forest green, and bright orange hues.The Spurs' stifling defense and balanced scoring attack overwhelmed the Trail Blazers in their playoff opener, setting the stage for a potential deep postseason run.San Antonio Today

The No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs easily handled the No. 7 seed Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series, winning 116-103 at home. The Spurs, who went 32-8 at home in the regular season, led by as many as 13 points and never trailed in the contest.

Why it matters

The Spurs' dominant performance at home to open the series puts the Blazers in a tough spot, as they now must try to steal a game on the road to have a chance of advancing. San Antonio's veteran experience and stifling defense proved too much for the younger Blazers squad.

The details

The Spurs were led by center Victor Wembanyama, who scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. San Antonio also got strong contributions from guards Devin Vassell (18 points) and Tre Jones (16 points, 8 assists). For Portland, forward Deni Avdija scored a team-high 23 points but shot just 7-of-19 from the field.

  • The game was played on Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 9 p.m. ET.
  • The Spurs won 14 of their final 16 regular season games to secure the No. 2 seed in the West.

The players

Victor Wembanyama

The 7'4" center for the San Antonio Spurs, who was the team's leading scorer with 25 points and 12 rebounds in the Game 1 victory.

Deni Avdija

The forward for the Portland Trail Blazers, who scored a team-high 23 points in the loss.

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What they’re saying

“We knew coming in that San Antonio was going to be a tough matchup, but we just couldn't find a way to slow them down tonight. They're a veteran team that executes so well, especially at home.”

— Deni Avdija, Forward, Portland Trail Blazers

“Our defense was the key tonight. We took away their transition opportunities and forced them to work hard for every basket. That's the kind of effort we'll need to sustain if we want to make a deep playoff run.”

— Tre Jones, Guard, San Antonio Spurs

What’s next

Game 2 of the series will be played on Tuesday, April 21 in San Antonio. The Spurs will look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead, while the Blazers will try to even things up before the series shifts to Portland.

The takeaway

The Spurs' veteran experience, stifling defense, and dominant home-court advantage proved too much for the young Blazers squad in Game 1. If Portland can't find a way to steal a game on the road, San Antonio appears poised to advance to the next round of the playoffs.