Spurs’ Historic Comeback in Game 4 Reflects Maturity Beyond Their Years

Victor Wembanyama helped lead the Spurs to a historic comeback in his first game back since suffering a concussion. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Everything about these Spurs is ahead of schedule.

Victor Wembanyama was not supposed to be a top-three MVP candidate in only his third NBA season. Stephon Castle was not supposed to become a two-way impact player this early in his career. Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant weren’t supposed to be ready to play key role players in their rookie seasons. Coach Mitch Johnson wasn’t supposed to figure out how to mesh the best parts of his roster this quickly. The team as a whole was definitely not supposed to win 60 games in an extremely competitive Western Conference and prove a genuine foil to the reigning champs in that same conference.

It is now clear those residing within the San Antonio buildings don’t give a damn what they were supposed to do this season. The players that make up this roster have shown maturity beyond their years all season long. And it was never more obvious than in Game 4 against the Trail Blazers.

The Spurs entered Sunday with confidence. They won Game 3 without Wembanyama thanks to an explosive showing from the young backcourt duo of Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle. The superstar big man was declared ready to return to the floor shortly before tip of Game 4. Everything was going their way as San Antonio tried to (effectively) close the door on this series by going up 3–1 in Portland.

Of course, anybody who’s watched playoff basketball knows things rarely go according to plan. And the Spurs learned that on Sunday—many of them for the very first time, given only three of the regular rotation players on the roster had any playoff minutes to their name entering this postseason. After fighting to a near-draw in the first quarter, the Blazers just about ran the visitors out of the gym with a wild flurry of shot-making. They outscored San Antonio by 15 over the 12-minute quarter, draining five three-pointers while the Spurs threw up bricks from all over the floor.

It was the sort of quarter that happens to even the best NBA teams. But a roster as youthful as this Spurs team could have been shaken by that run. It was a serious punch to the mouth and players who haven’t gone through the emotional grinder of postseason basketball tend to let that affect their play. Even after a 60-win season it would have been hard to blame San Antonio for folding after such a flurry.

But there was no giving up on that side. Instead, the Spurs rallied and turned everything around—to a literally historic degree. Over the next two quarters they would outscore the Trail Blazers 73–35. After losing by 17 points at half, San Antonio wound up winning by 21. It is the greatest in-game turnaround in NBA playoff history: the Spurs are the first team ever to win a postseason game by 15 or more points after losing by 15 or more at halftime.

Second half statement 👏

First team in NBA playoff history to trail by 15+ points at half and win by 15+ points! pic.twitter.com/AghXD98v1k

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) April 26, 2026

It’s a remarkable statistical achievement. But more than that, it reflects what San Antonio has been working to prove all year—that this team is not as young as it looks.

De’Aaron Fox, the “veteran” of this group at 28 years old and nine NBA seasons, led the charge in the second half. He finished 28 points on 11-for-18 shooting. But his younger teammates didn’t just follow his lead. They paced him. Wembanyama finished with 27 of his own points along with 11 combined steals and blocks. Castle wasn’t quite as active in the points column but ran the offense when Fox needed a breather and wound up a +17 on the night. Devin Vassell scored only 11 points but nine came in a five-minute burst in the third.

For basically every moment of that second half, the Spurs played out of their minds. It’s rare to see a young team collectively catch fire like that against a playoff-caliber defense; it’s even rarer to see it happen after that same young team got obliterated for 12 minutes earlier that very game. It shows the mental toughness of this San Antonio club, the sort of toughness a team serious about contending needs—but not every one has.

Ahead of schedule? San Antonio is right on time.

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