FILE - Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) goes for the ball as San Antonio Spurs center/forward Luke Kornet (7) looks on during the first half in Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Portland, Ore., Sunday, April 26, 2026.
Jenny Kane / AP
The Portland Trail Blazers found themselves suffering the worst kind of déjà vu in Game Four against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, losing 114 to 93.
The team threw away another double-digit lead in the second half, sliding to a 3-1 deficit in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
It was a historic flip-flop result: the Spurs are the first team in NBA playoff history to trail by 15 or more points at halftime, only to eventually win by more than 15 points, according to ESPN.
The Blazers now face an elimination game in Texas on Tuesday, with the additional mental hurdle of having thrown away two golden opportunities against one of the league’s strongest teams.
Portland led by as much as 19 in the first half, off the back of impressive offensive performances from Jerami Grant and Deni Avdija. That, combined with a staunch defensive performance, sent the team sailing into the locker room with a 17-point lead.
But within minutes of the second half starting, it was as though a different Portland team had wandered onto the court.
The Spurs quickly went on an 13-0 run to wipe away most of the lead. With four minutes left in the quarter, San Antonio took the lead.
A series of Portland turnovers allowed that deficit to grow as large as 20. It was a continuation of a problem that has continued to plague the team, who were dead last in turnovers per game during the regular season.
Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox proved too much for the Blazers to handle defensively, combining for 55 total points.
FILE - San Antonio Spurs forward/center Victor Wembanyama blocks a shot by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija during the second half in Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Portland, Ore., Sunday, April 26, 2026.
Jenny Kane / AP
Wembanyama, who suffered a scary-looking concussion in Game 2, had a triumphant return at the Moda Center. The 7-foot-4 defensive player of the year also added seven blocks that neutralized much of Portland’s second-half offense.
Portland head coach Tiago Splitter said afterward that his team mentally broke down and failed to stay consistent, even with such a large lead.
“Couldn’t get over the fact that we were up, and then they just came back to the game,” Splitter said.
Now, his team finds itself in a must-win situation in a tough road environment in San Antonio. But Splitter repeated a mantra he’s had through the playoffs: for his team, every game is a must-win.
FILE - San Antonio Spurs forward/guard Keldon Johnson (3) dunks during the second half in Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Portland Trail Blazers, in Portland, Ore., Sunday, April 26, 2026.
Jenny Kane / AP
“We’ve been in situations where we got to win every game that we have in front of us, and we’re going to fight one-by-one,” Splitter said. “It’s going to change.”
Game 5 will take place at 6:30 p.m. PT on Tuesday and will be broadcast on ESPN.
