Blazers bounce back to earn split with Spurs

Field Level Media|published: Sat 30th December, 24:57 2023

Dec 29, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) looks to pass the ball during the first half against San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) at Moda Center. credits: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Jerami Grant and Malcolm Brogdon scored 27 points each to help the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers earn a 134-128 win over the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Friday in the second game of a back-to-back set between the teams.

The Trail Blazers bounced back from a 118-105 home loss to San Antonio on Thursday in the first game of the mini-series despite again playing without Deandre Ayton (knee), Anfernee Simons (illness), Shaedon Sharpe (thigh) and Duop Reath (back).

Portland drew away from a tight game with a decisive surge in the middle of the second quarter. The Trail Blazers built their lead to as many as 26 points in the third and cruised to the win in the final period, never letting the Spurs to get closer than nine until the last minute.

Jabari Walker added 25 points off the Portland bench, with Scoot Henderson racking up 22 points and 11 assists, Toumani Camara producing 13 points and 11 rebounds and Skylar Mays scoring 11 points.

San Antonio's Keldon Johnson led all scorers with 29 points off the bench. Devin Vassell hit for 22, Doug McDermott added 18 points, Zach Collins had 17, Tre Jones tallied 14 and Malaki Branham had 11 for the Spurs.

San Antonio played without rookie star Victor Wembanyama, who was held out in the second game of the set to rest a sprained ankle.

The teams traded the lead over the first eight minutes before Johnson's three-point play handed the Spurs a 20-15 advantage. Portland rallied to tie the game at 29 when Mays hit a floater at the first-quarter buzzer.

The Trail Blazers used an 11-0 run capped by a layup from Walker midway through the second period to build a 53-42 lead. Portland pushed the margin to 18 points on Camara's layup with 1:38 left, but a free throw and a bucket by Johnson and a dunk by Collins allowed the Spurs to pull to within 71-56 entering the break.

Grant rang up 20 points to lead all scorers before halftime, while Brogdon and Walker had 12 each and Henderson scored 11 for the Trail Blazers. Collins paced San Antonio with 15 first-half points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor.

—Field Level Media