De’Aaron Fox delivered when it mattered most, putting up 13 of his 21 total points during the final quarter as San Antonio eliminated Portland with a commanding 114-95 victory at home Tuesday night, wrapping up their Western Conference first-round series 4-1.
Victor Wembanyama dominated both ends of the court with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and six blocks, helping the second-seeded Spurs punch their ticket to the conference semifinals where they’ll face either third-seeded Denver or sixth-seeded Minnesota.
Julian Champagnie contributed 19 points for San Antonio, which reaches the playoff’s second round for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign. Fox also facilitated the offense with a team-leading nine assists.
Portland got 22 points from Deni Avdija but struggled shooting the ball, connecting on just 35.1% of their field goal attempts compared to San Antonio’s 54.7%.
In other playoff action, Joel Embiid exploded for 33 points and eight assists as Philadelphia kept their season alive with a 113-97 road victory over Boston in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round matchup.
Tyrese Maxey chipped in 25 points and 10 rebounds for the 76ers, who now trail 3-2 in the best-of-seven contest. Philadelphia trailed by one entering the fourth quarter but dominated the final 12 minutes, outscoring Boston 28-11.
The Celtics got 24 points and 16 rebounds from Jayson Tatum plus 22 points from Jaylen Brown, but went ice-cold in the fourth quarter, making just 3-of-22 shots during that stretch.
Jalen Brunson torched Atlanta for 39 points as New York cruised to a 126-97 home win in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
The Knicks now lead 3-2 in the best-of-seven series and got additional help from OG Anunoby’s 17 points and 10 rebounds. New York controlled the glass with a commanding 48-27 rebounding advantage.
Atlanta received 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists from Jalen Johnson, while Dyson Daniels scored 17 points. The Hawks managed just four fast-break points in the loss.
