PORTLAND, Ore. — Toumani Camara delivered an impressive performance with 23 points and 11 rebounds to help the Portland Trail Blazers fend off a late surge from the San Antonio Spurs, securing a 120-109 victory on Sunday night.
Both teams had a glimmer of hope for a play-in tournament spot prior to the game, but their chances were dashed when Sacramento defeated Cleveland 120-113.
Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 22 points. While the Spurs spent much of the game trailing, Chris Paul managed to narrow the score to 108-102 with a layup and a free throw. However, Camara responded with a crucial 3-pointer, quelling the Spurs’ comeback attempt.
Despite missing the playoffs for the past three years, the potential for a postseason berth fueled Portland’s perseverance towards the end of the season.
“Every single game, our guys rose to the occasion,” said Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups. “Whether we played great or not, the effort was always there, knowing what was at stake.”
San Antonio’s late-season hopes were dimmed when Victor Wembanyama was sidelined in late February due to a blood clot in his right shoulder.
The Blazers initially established a 17-point lead, but the Spurs fought back to close the gap to 45-44 towards the end of the first half. By halftime, Portland held a 54-45 advantage.
Takeaways:
Spurs: San Antonio had won their first three encounters with the Blazers earlier this season.
Blazers: Portland played without several of their key players: Scoot Henderson (concussion), Deni Avdija (thumb injury), Duop Reath (right knee issue), and Anfernee Simons (right forearm problem).
Key moment:
The Spurs had cut Portland’s lead to 97-88 in the fourth quarter when Kris Murray executed a precise bounce pass to Camara, leading to a layup that boosted the Blazers’ margin back into double digits.
Key stat:
Kris Murray notched a season-high 18 points for Portland.
Up next:
Spurs: San Antonio will face the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
Trail Blazers: Portland is set to play against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.