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Who will Spurs play in the 1st round of the playoffs?
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- Who will Spurs play in the 1st round of the playoffs?
Who will Spurs play in the 1st round of the playoffs? appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The San Antonio Spurs are back in the playoffs after a six-year drought, and they have a strong chance to make it all the way to the NBA Finals with Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and De'Aaron Fox leading the way .
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The Spurs secured homecourt advantage in the first round after locking the second seed with a 62-20 record, their first 60-win season since 2016-2017.
San Antonio will face the Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round after the latter beat the Phoenix Suns , 114-110, at Mortgage Matchup Center in the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday.
Deni Avdija starred for the Trail Blazers against the Suns, finishing with a game-high 41 points, including a crucial and-1 play with only 16 seconds left. He also logged seven rebounds, 12 assists, and two blocks.
Jrue Holiday also came up big, contributing 21 points, four rebounds, and four assists, while Jerami Grant added 16 points, including four three-pointers off the bench.
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The Spurs won their season series against the Trail Blazers, 2-1. The former beat the latter in the NBA Cup in November, 115-102, despite missing Wembanyama and Castle due to injuries. Fox carried the cudgels with a season-high 37 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and three steals.
The Trail Blazers evened things up in January, 115-110, with Avdija tallying a triple-double of 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
San Antonio exacted revenge in April, 112-101, with Fox leading the way anew as Wembanyama and Castle were out of commission. Fox had 25 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.
History is on the side of the Spurs against the Trail Blazers in the playoffs, as pointed out by ESPN Insights.
Related: Deni Avdija fires warning shot at Spurs after Blazers advance to playoffs
Related: Victor Wembanyama's Deni Avdija quote resurfaces before Blazers-Spurs playoff clash
