"We wanted it. We wanted that game. It was a good opportunity for us to advance in the Cup. We fought. We tried to be in the game. It was a tough game, it was a close game. I feel like it was a first taste of kind of like a playoff game. I know I'm not experienced, other guys are not experienced yet, and it was a tough test for us, but I think from this game we can learn a lot."
"The guys get excited about it,"
The Trail Blazers lost 115-102 to the San Antonio Spurs, ending a chance to clinch Group C in the NBA Cup's West bracket. Deni Avdija led Portland with 37 points and described the game as a playoff-like test and a learning opportunity. Injuries sidelined Jrue Holiday and kept Damian Lillard and Matisse Thybulle on the report, leaving Portland with only Jerami Grant and Robert Williams III as players with playoff experience. San Antonio fielded more veterans with postseason experience, while its young core, including Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama, remains postseason-inexperienced. Harper returned from a calf strain; Castle and Wembanyama remained out. The Spurs' victory created a win-and-you're-in scenario for the upcoming finale in Denver. The NBA Cup provided both teams meaningful, competitive games after recent seasons out of the playoff mix.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]