San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama delivered a standout performance in the first playoff game of his career.
The French star dropped 35 points and grabbed five rebounds in 33 minutes, powering the Spurs to a 111-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game One of their series.
After missing the playoffs in his first two seasons following his draft, Wembanyama made an immediate impact on his postseason debut, converting five of his six attempts from beyond the arc.
He produced the performance in front of Spurs legends Tim Duncan and David Robinson, and later spoke about the excitement of finally competing on the playoff stage.
“The first time I stepped on the court, even for warmups, I felt the atmosphere was different. Everybody was ready. The fans were ready.”
“It’s probably the most excitement I’ve seen this year in this arena. In terms of tactics, the sport aspect of it, it was different because we had more time to prepare” Wembanyama said.
Game 2 of the Spurs-Trailblazers series takes place on Wednesday, April 22.
