Yang Hansen played in the final quarter! Wembanyama absent, Castle scores 33 points, Spurs overcome 15-point deficit to beat Trail Blazers 2-1

On April 25, in Game 3 of the Western Conference first-round NBA playoffs, the Spurs defeated the Trail Blazers 120-108 on the road, taking a 2-1 lead in the series. In this game, Wembanyama remained sidelined, while Yang Hansen played for 59 seconds in the final moments and secured one rebound. The Spurs overcame a deficit of up to 15 points to ultimately secure the victory.

For the Spurs, Castle had 33 points and 5 assists, Harper contributed 27 points and 10 rebounds, Fox added 18 points and 6 assists, Kornet posted 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks, and Vassell scored 11 points with 7 rebounds. For the Trail Blazers, Holiday recorded 29 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals, Henderson scored 21 points, Avdija had 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists, Grant added 13 points, Williams contributed 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks, and Clingan finished with 7 points and 11 rebounds.

In the first quarter, Clingan and Henderson hit three consecutive three-pointers, followed by Williams and Holiday attacking the basket effectively; Castle and Kornet continuously drove to the basket, Castle fired from outside, and Fox scored on a driving layup, tying the game at 15 early on. The teams remained deadlocked at 20. Holiday attacked inside, Grant's corner three-pointer connected, and Williams easily completed a putback; Champagnie and Kornet responded with consecutive three-pointers. At the end of the quarter, the Trail Blazers held a slight 29-27 lead.

In the second quarter, the teams again entered a prolonged stalemate early, remaining tied at 43. Holiday's drives proved effective, Henderson fired from outside hitting two three-pointers, and the Trail Blazers played impressively, building a 58-48 lead with a 10-point advantage. Fox and Champagnie hit long-range shots, narrowing the Spurs' deficit to just 3 points. Grant fired from outside, helping the Trail Blazers maintain a 65-59 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, Clingan scored on an alley-oop layup, Avdija and Holiday fired from outside, followed by Holiday continuing to show his effectiveness with mid-range shots, allowing the Trail Blazers to extend their lead to 82-67. Harper scored 5 points inside and out, Bryant and Johnson hit consecutive three-pointers, and with Fox's mid-range shot, the Spurs reversed the unfavorable situation, leading 88-87 at the end of the quarter.

In the final quarter, the teams remained tightly contested early, with the Spurs maintaining a slight 96-95 lead. Harper delivered a dunk, Castle and Vassell both hit long-range shots, and the Spurs extended their lead to 108-96. Kornet scored on consecutive attacks, Fox's mid-range shot also connected, and the Spurs continued to hold their advantage at 116-103. The rest of the game held no suspense; Yang Hansen played in the final moments and secured one rebound, allowing the Spurs to comfortably maintain their lead and secure the victory.

Starting Lineups

Trail Blazers: Avdija, Kamara, Clingan, Holiday, Henderson

Spurs: Vassell, Champagnie, Kornet, Fox, Castle