In the playoffs, Wembanyama has become even more outrageous.

Today's four playoff games were mostly calm affairs. The Thunder and Celtics cruised to victory in their first games. The Pistons faltered, but given their similar approach to the Magic, the young Pistons being stunned in Game 1 wasn't entirely unexpected. Regarding the Trail Blazers and Spurs, there was even less doubt.

The Trail Blazers and Spurs have been absent from the playoffs for a long time. The core players of both teams lack significant playoff experience. Starting from the same baseline, the Spurs possess superior talent, stronger immediate impact, and better team discipline, making it seem like the Trail Blazers had no effective answers in Game 1.

The Trail Blazers trailed by 10 points at halftime. Early in the third quarter, they briefly cut the deficit to just two points, intensifying their pressure on Wembanyama for a short period, generating fast-break opportunities, with Henderson scoring consecutively. However, Henderson soon committed consecutive低级失误, allowing the gap to widen again, and the Trail Blazers never managed to reintroduce suspense into the game.

The Trail Blazers seemed somewhat presumptuous today. During the regular season, a large portion of their shots came from inside the paint, while Wembanyama's rim protection is the undisputed best in the league. Splitt's idea was to have Clingan and R威 attempt three-pointers to draw Wembanyama out, creating some space for the team's drives.

Yet, Wembanyama completely ignored the outside shots from players like Clingan and R威. Their combined 6-for-1 shooting from three-point range couldn't alter the game's dynamics. Wembanyama's威慑力 under the basket remained comprehensive, preventing Avdija from executing his familiar drive-and-kick plays.

The Trail Blazers' three-point shooting percentage ranked倒数第三 in the regular season, only better than the Nets and Kings. With such a overall poor three-point命中率, convincing Wembanyama to放弃篮下协防 and venture outside was too difficult. Thus, the Spurs' style significantly countered the Trail Blazers' approach. Conversely, the Nuggets lead the league in three-point命中率, making this potential Western Conference semifinals matchup quite intriguing.

Wembanyama's first career playoff game still appeared excessively "overpowered." He shot 13-for-20, including 5-for-6 from three-point range, scoring 35 points with 4 rebounds and 2 blocks. The entire first half was Wembanyama's showcase, displaying his full arsenal of skills.

He executed a smooth behind-the-back dribble in transition, spun past Avdija for an easy dunk, showcasing his unique flair on a solo fast break; various no-look, pull-up three-pointers, and alley-oop暴扣 over defenders.

The most夸张 shot came when he received the ball at a 45-degree angle. Johnson nearby saw him heading toward the corner and quickly cleared space. Wembanyama drifted to the corner for a漂移 shot, his entire body重心 leaning outward, yet still sinking the three-pointer. That shot felt like a buzzer-beater; R威 probably thought, "Even if you shot normally, I couldn't block it."

Wembanyama scored 21 points in the first half. He coasted in the third quarter (the rest of the Spurs played excellently that period), then opened the fourth with 14 points to seal the game. His total of 35 points broke the Spurs' franchise record for points in a playoff debut. The previous record holder was sitting in the stands today: Duncan scored 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks in his first playoff game.

The Trail Blazers' defense against Wembanyama was too polite. Kamara didn't apply enough physical对抗. When Wembanyama handled the ball, they didn't actively increase contact to disrupt his rhythm. The Trail Blazers should review how the Suns defended him early in the season or how the Timberwolves did previously, observing the physical对抗 Dillon and Randle applied. At least, you shouldn't let Wembanyama stay in his comfort zone throughout.

The Spurs today felt like a reunion. David Robinson, Duncan, George Gervin, Ginobili, and the rarely seen Coach Popovich (since his中风) all attended. Of course, if counting, Splitt也算 a Spurs legend. This was the Spurs' first playoff game in seven years; the San Antonio arena had waited too long for a playoff victory.

After the game, led by Vassell, they敲响了 the victory drum, with the entire audience clapping along to the rhythm. This was the first time the drum symbolizing victory sounded for the Spurs in the playoffs, and they hope to hear that sound countless more times.