SAN ANTONIO Spurs weathered a late surge by Portland Trail Blazers to score a 114-96 Game 5 win and close out their NBA Western Conference first round series on Tuesday night (Wednesday in the Philippines) in San Antonio, Texas.
De’Aarox Fox stepped up offensively in the fourth quarter to end up with a team-high 21 points along with nine assists and three rebounds as the Spurs reached the West semis after finishing off the Blazers, 4-1.
Julian Champagnie added 19 markers, including five three-pointers, Victor Wembanyama and Filipino-American guard Dylan Harper tallied 17 apiece, and Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell had 15 and 10, respectively.
The Spurs went to work early as they surged to a 36-24 lead after the opening quarter before widening their advantage to as high as 28 points late in the third quarter.
The Trail Blazers made their last push to trim the deficit to nine points, but conversions from Wembanyama, Champanie, and Harper restored a 20-point edge for the Spurs.
Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 22 points, Jerami Grant contributed 12 markers, Sidy Cissoko and Robert Williams III ended with 11 points apiece, and Donovan Clingan chipped in 10 points.
At Boston, Philadelphia 76ers kept their season alive after a 113-97 victory over the Celtics in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first round series. Boston still leads the series, 3-2.
Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 33 points and eight assists, Tyrese Maxey added a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Quentin Grimes, Paul George, and VJ Edgecombe contributed 18, 16, and 10, respectively.
Jayson Tatum top-scored for the Celtics with a double-double of 24 points and 16 rebounds, Jaylen Brown added 22 markers, while Payton Pritchard scored 12 off the bench.
New York Knicks, on the other hand, took a 3-2 lead in their East series after a lopsided 126-97 win over Atlanta Hawks. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 39 points and eight assists./PN
