NBA Playoffs Preview: Trail Blazers at Spurs

SAN ANTONIO (Interstat) — The Portland Trail Blazers face elimination Tuesday when they visit the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of their Western Conference playoff series at Frost Bank Center.

Top-seeded San Antonio leads the best-of-seven series 3-1 after a 114-93 victory Sunday in Portland. The Spurs (65-22) can advance to the second round with a win.

Portland (44-43) managed one victory in the series, a 106-103 win at San Antonio on April 21, but has dropped consecutive games since.

Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija has been productive despite the series deficit. The 6-foot-9 Israeli averaged 22.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the first four games, including 26 points in Game 4. Avdija posted 41 points and 12 assists against Phoenix on April 14 and has scored at least 25 points in six of his past eight games.

Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama is the primary obstacle for Portland. The 7-foot-4 Frenchman recorded 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks in Game 4 and 35 points in Game 1. Wembanyama has seven games with at least 30 points in his past 10 outings, including a 41-point, 18-rebound performance against Golden State on April 1.

The series has been defined by San Antonio’s defense. The Spurs held Portland to 98 and 93 points in Games 1 and 4, respectively. The Trail Blazers’ lone win required holding San Antonio to 103 points, its lowest output of the series.

San Antonio guard De’Aaron Fox added 28 points and seven assists in Game 4. Devin Vassell contributed 11 points.

For Portland, guard Jrue Holiday scored 20 points in Game 4, while forward Jerami Grant added 17.

Portland will need to improve its perimeter shooting to extend the series. The Trail Blazers shot 34.1% from 3-point range in the series.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 121-109 San Antonio victory. The Spurs are favored by 11.5 points with an over/under of 214.5.

Tipoff is at 8 p.m. CDT. The winner of this game would face the winner of the Dallas-Utah series in the Western Conference semifinals. If Portland wins, Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday in Portland.