Wembanyama scores 35 as Spurs beat Trail Blazers 111-98

Victor Wembanyama poured in 35 points, hit five 3-pointers and grabbed five rebounds in his NBA playoff debut as San Antonio defeated Portland 111-98. Wembanyama became the first player in NBA history to record 35-plus points and five-plus 3-pointers in a postseason debut and he surpassed Tim Duncan’s Spurs mark for most points in a first playoff game (32 in 1998). De'Aaron Fox scored 17 points with eight assists, Stephon Castle added 17 points and seven rebounds, and Devin Vassell contributed 15 points. The No. 2 seed Spurs returned to the postseason for the first time since 2019 and will host Game 2 Tuesday at 8 p.m. on NBC and Peacock.