NBA Playoffs | Portland Trailblazers vs. San Antonio Spurs: Game 1
Written by: Varun Sharma
Last Update: Sun Apr 19, 2026, 7:52 pm ET
Read Time: 6 minutes
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We've got a good one to finish night two of the NBA Playoffs. The San Antonio Spurs host the Portland Trailblazers for Game 1 of this Western Conference quarterfinal.
Let's jump straight into it.
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Game Information
Matchup Information
- Location: Frost Bank Center; San Antonio, Texas
- Date: Sunday, April 19th, 2026
- Tipoff: 9:10 PM EST
Key Players
- Deni Avdija (POR): 33.3 MPG | 24.2 PPG | 6.9 RPG | 6.7 APG
- Victor Wembanyama (SAS): 29.2 MPG | 25.0 PPG | 11.5 RPG | 3.1 APG
Betting Odds
Odds via Lucky Rebel, an industry leader in the sports betting world.
Analysis & Breakdown
The Jackals' Den
Victor Wembanyama plays his first playoff game today and I cant wait to tune in. The Spurs finished the year with the second most wins in the NBA, a top three offense, a top three defense and at the heart of both are Victor Wembanyama.
Wemby finished the year averaging just short of 30 minutes per game, but he still put up crazy numbers. Victor averaged 25/11 this year, he shot 51.2% from the field and is arguably the second most important player to his team's success (#2 DARKO).
The Spurs rank 3rd in defensive rating, 8th in points allowed and are giving up just 111.5 points per game this year. They rank 4th in opponent field goal percentage, holding opponents to 45% from the field and just 35.2% from outside. They've been great because of their depth, but so much better with Wemby on the floor.
The Spurs defensive rating goes from 106.9 with Wemby on the floor, to 115.6 with him off the floor. The team's got a +16.7 net rating when Wembanyama's on the floor and it's why the Spurs finished the year with the third best average margin of vitory.
San Antonio's been waiting to get back to the postseason and in just his third year, Wembanyama's brought them back. Now we just wait to see how far he can take them.
Blazin' into the Postseason
They did it, the Portland Trailblazers made it back to the playoffs for the first time in five years. All it took was for Damian Lillard to come back to Portland.
Obviously I'm joking, but it's been great to see this team compete and watch Dame on the sidelines cheering on his teammates. Portland's been lead by MIP Finalist, Deni Avdija. He's averaging a career high 24.2 points per game this year, along side 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game.
Deni's been the engine that drives Portland, but it's their depth that sets them apart. Donovan Clingan has come into his own as a full time starter. He's averaging 12.1 points and more importantly 11.6 rebounds per game this year. He played/started 77 games this year and lead the league in offensive rebounds; in jus this second year.
Lastly, Portland's guard play has been a lot of fun. Jrue Holiday's become the perfect vet for Portland, playing off the ball and giving them punches of scoring when they really need it. Scoot Henderson's back playing at a high level and Shadeon Sharpe's just returning from injury.
Portland's a team that's battled injuries all year and tonight with a full roster, I'm excited to see what they can do.
Sunday Night's Best Bets
Victor Wembanyama o43.5 PRA (-110) | Lucky Rebel
Like I said above, Victor's been amazing this year and he's not even playing 30 minutes per game yet. Vic saved his best for last and it was on full display leading into the playoffs.
Wembanyama's averaging 29.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game over his last 10 games. He's shooting 54.1% from the field and taking an average of 19.6 shots per game. Wemby only averaged 28.6 minutes per game in these 10 games.
In home games this year, Wembanyama averages 26.4 points (+2.8), 11.8 rebounds (+0.5) and 3.3 assists per game. He's shooting 52.8% here in San Antonio and 37.9% (+3.4) from the perimeter.
Wemby loves playing in front of the Jackals and tonight, in front of the home crowd, Wemby's going to put on a show.
Jrue Holiday o24.5 PRA (-120) | Lucky Rebel
Like I said, Jrue's been the perfect vet on this team. He's cleared this line in 8 of the team's last 10 games; averaging 16.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists. Jrue's shot the ball poorly in these 10 games, going just 42% from the field; but he's been great from three at the same time (40%).
On the road to start the series, team full of youth; I'm going with the guy that's been here before.
Donovan Clingan o1.5 3s (+175) | Lucky Rebel
This one's going to be a sweat, but I can't ignore Clingan's ability to shoot the rock. He shot just 34.1% from three this year, but has hit this line in three of his last five games. After back to back games to finish the year with poor shooting nights, this feels like a mis-price.
Clingan's hit 3 threes in both matchups this year where he played over 26 minutes. He shot 60% from beyond the arc against San Antonino this year and the only game he didn't hit this line was early in the year when he attempted zero threes.
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