Tonight, your Portland Trail Blazers and the San Antonio Spurs square off in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. After an 82-game season marred by scandal, injury, disappointment and more turnovers than any other team in the league, the Blazers enter the second season with late-season momentum and a clean slate. It will be the team’s first playoff appearance since a 2021 first round loss to Denver.
The second-seeded Spurs won 62 games this season and two out of its three meetings with the Blazers.
But, none of that matters now. The first team to four wins will win the strap and continue its march through the playoffs. The loser will go home to lick its wounds until the NBA tips it up again in October.
What You Need to Know
No. 7 Portland Trail Blazers at No. 2 San Antonio Spurs | Sun. April 19 | 6 pm Pacific | Series, 0-0
How to watch via antenna or cable: NBC
How to stream: Peacock
How to listen: Trail Blazers Audio Network
SB Nation Affiliate: Pounding the Rock
Trail Blazers Injuries: Damian Lillard (Out).
Spurs injuries: Jordan McLaughlin (Out).
Kit: The Blazers will take the floor in their white Association Edition jerseys. San Antonio will wear its black City Edition unis.
Regular Season Stat Leaders:
Trail Blazers: Points, Avdija (24.2 per game). Rebounds, Clingan (11.6). Assists, Avdija (6.7). Steals, Thybulle (2). Blocks, Clingan (1.7).
Spurs: Points, Wembanyama (25 per game). Rebounds, Wembanyama (11.5). Assists, Castle (7.4). Steals, Fox (1.2). Blocks, Wembanyama (3.1).
Regular Season Tale of the Tape
Trail Blazers: Offensive rating: 113.1 (21st place) Defensive rating: 113.5 (13th place)
Spurs: Offensive rating: 118.7 (3rd place) Defensive rating: 110.4 (3rd place)
Storylines
Costco Index
An unscientific Blazer’s Edge poll of six hot dog-eating Trail Blazers fans at my local warehouse food court predicted with remarkable consistency that the Spurs will win the series in five games. The Blazers lack outside shooting and have no counter to 7’4” bookworm Victor Wembanyama. Indeed, the Spurs are overwhelming favorites to win the series, but the plotlines are juicy.
It’s Wemby’s World
Wembanyama, the Spurs’ best player, has not suited up for any of the teams’ three matchups this year. The 22-year-old phenom has bent the league to his will this season and may very well win the MVP award. This will be his very first NBA playoff campaign. How can Portland short-circuit what many see as the Spurs best chance at a championship since Tim Duncan retired?
The Natural II
The Blazers’ case for an upset begins and ends with its 6’8” linebacker Deni Avdija, who looked like the second coming of Brandon Roy in a 41-point 12-rebound play-in game victory over Phoenix. How will his fearsome drives fare against the elite shot-blocking of Wembanyama?
A Battle of Huskies
Blazers center Donovan Clingan finished the regular season with 892 rebounds to lead the league. Not only will he have the unenviable center matchup with Wembanyama, he will face his former UConn teammate Stephon Castle who is having a breakout year of his own for the Spurs. Can Clingan continue his elite play against one of the best big men in the league?
People First
Acting Blazers head coach Tiago Splitter (who won a championship with the Spurs as a player in 2014) told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News that he emulates the inclusive leadership style of Spurs coaching legend Gregg Popovich.
“That’s really what I am trying to do here,” Splitter said of emulating Popovich’s inclusive atmosphere. “I have everybody involved. From one to 18 on the roster, everybody has to be part of this. I think that is what I learned most from him, the off-the-court stuff. The Xs and Ox, yeah, they are important. I think everybody does that in the league. But the relationship part with the players is what really, really separates Pop from all the coaches.”
Fresh Legs
The Blazers should have the fresher legs in this contest. Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Matisse Thybulle all recently returned from long stints on the injury list. In a recent radio interview, Henderson told Rip City Radio’s Chad Doing how he is putting together his best stretch of basketball as a professional.
Hive Mind
While the Blazers often struggled with consistency while playing inferior teams during the season’s stretch run, the team also put together a stretch of elite defensive play led by Toumani Camara, Clingan, Jrue Holiday and Matisse Freaking Thybulle.
True Hoop’s Henry Abbott [subscription required] says:
The biggest reason the Blazers now have one of the NBA’s best defenses, though, is that with generalized health, they have stopped playing bad defenders altogether. The lions have no easy prey.
What is your prediction for tonight’s game? For the series?
