Overview
- San Antonio’s 111-98 win, which came Sunday at Frost Bank Center, put the Spurs up 1-0 and ended a seven-year playoff absence.
- Victor Wembanyama scored 35 in his first postseason game to pass Tim Duncan’s 32-point Spurs debut mark from 1998 while shooting 13-of-21 with five threes, five rebounds and two blocks.
- Coach Mitch Johnson said a roster full of first-timers settled after early nerves and he praised the team’s defensive response to the playoff pace.
- Devin Vassell described a roaring home crowd and said his eight-point burst in the third quarter, plus stops that led to transition chances, helped San Antonio pull away.
- Spurs icons Tim Duncan and David Robinson watched courtside, and Wembanyama said their presence makes him feel “safe,” with veterans and staff ready to steady him when the stage gets bigger.