San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama set a franchise record in his playoff debut, powering his side past the Portland Trail Blazers in a 35-point performance that has experts labelling the 7-foot-4 phenom “unfair”.
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Read on for a full NBA playoffs wrap!
‘UNFAIR’: WEMBY MAKES STATEMENT IN PLAYOFFS DEBUT
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama delivered a historic playoff debut in Game 1 of a 111–98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, surpassing franchise legend Tim Duncan’s rookie postseason mark of 31 points set in 1998.
Duncan, alongside Spurs great David Robinson, was in attendance to witness the standout performance.
Wembanyama finished with 35 points, five rebounds and two blocks in a commanding display as the San Antonio Spurs secured a playoff victory.
It marked the franchise’s first postseason win since the 2018–19 season, coming in a convincing result over the seventh-seeded Portland Trail Blazers.
Last season’s Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle added 17 points and seven assists in his playoff debut, while veteran guard De’Aaron Fox, playing his first postseason game since 2023, contributed 17 points, five rebounds and eight assists.
Wembanyama’s first-ever playoff basket came in typical fashion, highlighting his extraordinary length and athleticism, and setting the tone for what looks like the start of a long postseason scoring run in his career.
The 22-year-old continues to raise the bar, and despite his once-in-a-generation talent, he keeps surprising fans and experts with his fluid movement and highlight-reel plays for a 7-foot-4 player, including a transition sequence that had analysts calling him “unfair”.
REIGNING CHAMPS STRIKE FIRST AFTER ‘FOUL BAITERS’ CLAIM
The reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, have opened their title defence in style, cruising past the Phoenix Suns 119-84 in Game 1 of their first-round series, a playoff matchup not seen since 1997.
Pre-game tension was already building, largely driven by Dillon Brooks, who took aim at the Thunder in the lead-up.
Speaking after a win over the Golden State Warriors, Brooks didn’t hold back.
“There are a lot of foul baiters on that team,” he said, quickly casting himself as the series villain.
He carried that edge into tip-off, even snubbing Thunder star Chet Holmgren during pre-game routines in an early attempt to get under his skin.
On the court, though, it was one-way traffic.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP and Finals MVP, led the way with 25 points. It was an unusual shooting night, just 5-of-18 from the field, but he made it count at the line, hitting 15 of 17 free throws. He added seven assists and two blocks before sitting out the entire fourth quarter, finishing with just 29 minutes.
Jalen Williams chipped in 22 points, while Holmgren added 16, as Oklahoma City took full control early and never looked back. The Thunder are chasing back-to-back titles, something last achieved by the Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
Brooks’ night took another turn in the first quarter when he was hit with a flagrant foul on Holmgren following a video review, with officials ruling the contact unnecessary.
From there, the Thunder tightened their grip. Roared on by a lively crowd at Paycom Center, they built a lead as large as 25 in the first half, stretched it to 21 by the break, and pushed it out to 39 in the fourth.
Devin Booker led Phoenix with 23 points, but the Suns, who battled through the play-in to secure the eighth seed, had no answers for a Thunder side that finished the regular season with a league-best 64 wins.
“It was a great defensive performance,” coach Mark Daigneault said.
“I thought the guys were really competitive, played on a string, great communication, covered for each other. It wasn’t perfect, but we had each other’s backs.
“We forced them to earn everything.”
The Thunder will look to take a commanding 2-0 lead when they host Game 2 of the best-of-seven series on Wednesday.
FIRST BIG PLAYOFFS SHOCK AS PISTONS STUNNED BY MAGIC
While the well-rested Thunder came out firing, the Pistons looked rusty after having a week off and the Magic, who beat Charlotte to secure their playoff spot, took full advantage.
Paolo Banchero scored 23 points and Franz Wagner scored 11 of his 19 in the fourth quarter as the Magic withstood a 39-point performance from Pistons star Cade Cunningham.
Detroit trailed by as many as 13 in the first quarter and by 11 early in the third. A Cunningham three-pointer tied it with 7:04 left in the third, but the Magic pulled away again.
“I liked our composure the whole game, our energy,” Wagner said after the Magic handed the Pistons an 11th straight home playoff defeat, a skid dating back to 2008.
2024 CHAMPIONS FLEX THEIR MUSCLE IN DOMINANT GAME 1 WIN
In Boston, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 51 points as the Boston Celtics went wire to wire in a dominant 123–91 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
The star duo capitalised on Philadelphia’s poor shooting to deliver the Celtics’ largest margin of victory in a playoff opener.
Tatum set the tone early, piling up 10 points, six rebounds and three assists in the first quarter as Boston surged to a 33–18 lead at the break. Brown then took over in the third, pouring in 16 points to put the result beyond doubt.
Paul George and Tyrese Maxey combined for 38 points for the Philadelphia 76ers, shooting 12-of-28 from the field, but their struggles from beyond the arc proved costly.
Philadelphia hit just 4-of-23 from three-point range, a poor 17 per cent, and finished the game shooting 38 per cent overall, leaving them chasing the contest from start to finish.
In a bright spot, rookie V. J. Edgecombe impressed in his playoff debut, posting 13 points, three rebounds and three assists across 34 minutes.
There was a brief moment of frustration when veteran referee Scott Foster, reviewing a potential flagrant foul, snapped at game operators to “do your job”.
With the game well in hand, both Tatum and Brown spent most of the fourth quarter on the bench, conserving energy ahead of Tuesday’s second game before the series shifts to Philadelphia.
The result adds another chapter to one of the NBA’s longest rivalries. Boston has now won six straight playoff series against the Sixers, a run that dates back to the 1985 Eastern Conference Finals.
Tatum, playing his first postseason since recovering from a torn Achilles nearly a year ago, showed no signs of rust. He finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, underlining why many see Boston as a genuine title contender.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Tatum said. “Not too long ago I wasn’t even sure if I was going to play this season, let alone the playoffs.
“Today was probably the most excited, relaxed and grateful I’ve felt in my nine years in the playoffs.”