Incredible Wembanyama Comeback Secures Playoff Lead — Lakers Disappoint

Wemby returns after his concussion and leads the Spurs to a furious comeback. The Rockets must once again do without Kevin Durant but manage to fend off the Lakers’ early match point.

Wemby-mania in Portland! The young Frenchman puts up incredible numbers after a short injury break and secures the Spurs three match points for the next round in his first playoff series. At the Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid makes his first appearance this postseason, but the center cannot prevent a 1-3 deficit against the Boston Celtics. In Houston, the Rockets’ shots finally start falling again, allowing them to fend off an early knockout against the Lakers.

Portland Trail Blazers (W7) — San Antonio Spurs (W2) 93:114 — Series: 1-3

Just like in Game 3, the Blazers managed to build a significant lead at times. And just like in Game 3, the Spurs came back in the second half with a furious comeback and secured the away win.

At halftime, Portland held a comfortable 58:41 lead, with the margin reaching 19 points at one point. However, San Antonio had already tied the game before the start of the final quarter and needed less than five minutes in the fourth to decisively turn the tide (90:77).

‘We had to find answers before we were backed against the wall,’ explained Victor Wembanyama regarding the strong second-half performance. Wemby, who had to sit out Game 3 due to a concussion from the previous game, played a significant role in the comeback success.

After the break, the DPOY made every shot he took (5/5 FG, 8/8 FT) and also contributed 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 5 blocks to the box score. In total, he finished the night with 27 points (11/17 FG), 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 7 blocks. This makes him the first player in 33 years to record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals, and 7 blocks in the playoffs. Hakeem Olajuwon was the last to achieve this in 1993.

This performance was not enough to be his team’s top scorer. De’Aaron Fox took that honor with 28 points (11/17 FG) and also dished out 7 assists. Dylan Harper had a quiet game with 3 points (1/6 FG) after his breakout performance, while Stephon Castle complemented the guard trio with 16 points and 8 assists. Castle’s game was much more eventful, and he got into a scuffle with Deni Avdija at one point. Both received a technical foul after a shove.

Avdija led his team with 26 points and complained about Castle afterward: ‘You can be tough and play physically, but there’s a line of disrespect that I won’t accept.’ However, the forward lacked offensive support, and only Jrue Holiday (20) and Jerami Grant (17) also scored in double digits. Donovan Clingan struggled with his shot (5 points, 2/10 FG, 1/6 3FG), and Scoot Henderson had no luck at all (0 points, 0/7 FG, 0/3 3FG).

Portland must steal Game 5 in San Antonio early Wednesday morning (03:30 AM) or their series will be over prematurely.

Houston Rockets (W5) — Los Angeles Lakers (W4) 115:96 — Series: 1-3

The Rockets are still alive! Houston had to play their first must-win game without superstar Kevin Durant again, whose return remains uncertain. However, even without KD, who supported his teammates from the bench this time, Head Coach Ime Udoka’s team showed their strongest performance of the series so far and deservedly earned their first victory.

While the Rockets took ‘only’ seven more shots than the Lakers, their attempts finally started to fall this evening. Houston shot 48 percent from the field and had a hotter hand from downtown compared to Los Angeles (12/30 vs. 5/22).

The scoring was well-distributed, with all starters scoring at least 16 points. Amen Thompson was the most successful with 23 points, and Tari Eason contributed 20 points. The Rockets led by +9 at halftime and started the third quarter with a 12:4 run. A 9:3 run at the end of the quarter extended the lead to 90:65. With seven and a half minutes left in the game, Lakers coach JJ Redick threw in the towel and took all his remaining starters off the court.

Deandre Ayton had already been in the locker room long before that. In the middle of the third quarter, his elbow to Alperen Sengün’s head was ruled a Flagrant 2, and the center was ejected. Despite this, Ayton was L.A.’s best scorer with 19 points (9/12 FG) and secured a double-double with 10 rebounds.

The second-best scorer was Rui Hachimura with 13 points. In third place was LeBron James, who had a forgettable evening. The ‘King’ only made two of his nine field goal attempts and was completely unsuccessful from distance (0/3 3FG). Six of six free throws were enough to get him to just 10 points. He also collected 9 assists – but also 8 turnovers.

Even Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard, who had been playing well so far, had little impact on the game. Together, they missed all five of their three-pointers and combined for only 16 points. Smart at least kept the statisticians busy with 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. It remains unclear when the two guards will be replaced by the injured Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Maxi Kleber saw the court for almost seven minutes in the final phase. The German big man made one free throw and also grabbed one rebound, one steal, and had 2 assists. Adou Thiero was also ejected shortly before the end. Afterward, ‘Purple and Gold’ still had plenty to discuss with the referees.

The Lakers have another match point on Thursday night (04:00 AM). Game 5 will be played in Los Angeles.

Philadelphia 76ers (E7) — Boston Celtics (E2) 96:128 — Series: 1-3

The Sixers, like the Rockets, are facing a ‘Gentleman’s Sweep’. Before the game, Philly delivered good news, announcing that Joel Embiid would make his first appearance in this postseason after his appendicitis surgery.

However, the center’s return only provided a boost for the 76ers for a few minutes. With 4:41 left in the first quarter, Head Coach Nick Nurse’s team took a 13:12 lead – by the end of the quarter, the Celtics were already ahead 34:18.

By halftime, Boston had extended their lead to 21 points and enjoyed their halftime break with a comfortable 56:38 lead. At that point, the Celtics were dominating the boards. The statisticians counted 14 more rebounds, and it was 13:0 in favor of second-chance points.

Furthermore, Tyrese Maxey for Philadelphia was completely out of sorts, with only three successful shots after two quarters. ‘That cannot happen,’ the All-Star said self-critically afterward. ‘This is my fault. This is simply unacceptable.’

Embiid, on the other hand, started the game strong and needed less than ten minutes for ten points. After that, however, he cooled down significantly and missed seven shots in a row at one point. When he finally got back on the scoreboard in the third quarter with a three-point play, he reduced the deficit to -23. The game was long decided.

With 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, he was his team’s best player in the end. Maxey at least picked up the pace in the second half and finished with 22 points. Paul George scored 16 points, and Quentin Grimes had a good performance off the bench (12 PTS, 6 AST). Rookie VJ Edgecombe, however, disappointed as he did in the previous matchup. The young player’s shot once again wouldn’t fall (6 points, 2/9 FG, 0/4 3FG).

On the other side, the Celtics once again got 50 points from their two ‘Jays.’ Jayson Tatum contributed 30 points (8/16 FG, 5/10 3FG, 9/9 FT) to the second away win, while Jaylen Brown scored 20 points. Tatum also grabbed 7 rebounds and secured a double-double with 11 assists. However, the best scorer was Payton Pritchard, who poured in a relaxed 32 points (12/21 FG, 6/12 3FG) off the bench. Overall, the Celtics shot 45 percent from downtown.

The series now returns to Boston. Game 5 will take place early Wednesday morning (01:00 AM) at TD Garden.

Toronto Raptors (E5) — Cleveland Cavaliers (E4) 93:89 — Series: 2-2

Both teams had significant offensive struggles early Sunday evening, and Dennis Schröder was unable to make his mark on the game. In the final moments, the Raptors turned the game around to tie the series.

Click here for the game report.

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