Sports

Victor Wembanyama Shares Honest Admission About Playing Against Portland

In the NBA playoffs, success is often dictated by how teams adjust over the course of what could be a seven-game series.

Victor Wembanyama and the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs took down the No. 7 seed Portland Trail Blazers in five games, advancing to the second round of the 2026 postseason.

On Friday, Wembanyama was asked about the game-to-game adjustments the Spurs made while matching up against head coach Tiago Splitter and the Trail Blazers.

The 7-foot-4 Frenchman responded by calling Portland a “straightforward team.”

“It was good. It was fun. But Portland is a pretty straightforward team,” Wembanyama said. “I'm excited to play against teams that will challenge more of the tactical, technical basketball aspect."

Wembanyama and the Spurs will now matchup against a No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves team that just made things difficult for the Denver Nuggets’ superstar big man Nikola Jokic. Minnesota got the job done in six games, sending the Nuggets home with a 110-98 final score in Game 6 on Thursday night.

This first-round series took a toll on the Timberwolves, who now enter Round 2 without some key players. Donte DiVincenzo is out for the year after suffering a torn Achilles in Game 4, and superstar guard Anthony Edwards is out for the foreseeable future as he recovers from a bone bruise on his knee.

Game 1 of the Spurs-Timberwolves series will tipoff on Monday night in San Antonio.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 5:24 PM.

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