Spurs beat Trail Blazers without Wemby to take series lead

Stephon Castle had 33 points and the San Antonio Spurs overcame the absence of Victor Wembanyama to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 120-108 on Friday night, taking a 2-1 series lead. Dylan Harper added 27 points and 10 rebounds. The Spurs trailed by 15 points in the third quarter but clawed back with a 21-5 run to take an 88-87 lead into the final period. Castle’s step-back jumper and free throws gave the Spurs a 105-95 lead midway through the fourth, and the Trail Blazers collapsed. Wembanyama, the league’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, went down in Game 2 of the series. He averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and a league-best 3.1 blocks per game this season. Before the game, coach Mitch Johnson announced Wembanyama would not play while recovering from a concussion. Portland led 82-67 in the third quarter but the Spurs overtook them. Luke Kornet started without Wembanyama, scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds. Portland went on a 15-2 run in the first half, leading 65-59 at halftime. A controversial foul in the final moments of the half led to a defensive foul on Avdija, who had a chipped tooth but kept playing. Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday at the Moda Center.