3 Blazers Who Cost Portland Most in Game 1 Loss vs. Spurs

The Portland Trail Blazers are coming up short after a 111-98 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, largely due to a historic 35-point debut from Victor Wembanyama.

While Deni Avdija countered with a valiant 30-point, 10-rebound performance, Portland's veteran core and young interior anchor struggled to provide the necessary support.

Here are the three Blazers who cost Portland most in the Game 1 loss.

Jrue Holiday

Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

As the veteran floor general, Holiday was expected to provide a stabilizing presence. While he managed to dish out 11 assists, his scoring inefficiency crippled the Blazers' backcourt production.

Holiday notched just nine points on 4-of-15 (26.7%) shooting and 1-of-7 (14.3%) from beyond the arc.
Holiday’s inability to punish the Spurs' drop coverage allowed San Antonio to keep defenders glued to the perimeter. For a player who averaged 16.3 points per game during the regular season, a single-digit outing in the playoffs puts immense pressure on younger scorers like Scoot Henderson to over-perform.

The Blazers rely on Holiday to set the tone for the offense, so it's not a surprise to see the team score fewer than 100 points when he managed to drop just nine himself.

Jerami Grant

Grant has been Portland’s secondary option all season long, but his transition to a bench role for this matchup was largely ineffective. In a game where the Blazers needed veteran savvy to counter the Spurs' second-unit runs, Grant was virtually invisible.

Grant scored just five points in 19 minutes of play off the bench. There is still some rust there considering he missed the final seven games of the regular season, but the playoffs are unforgiving to players that need that kind of boost.
Grant's presence had statistically zero positive effect on the game's flow. Failing to record a single rebound in nearly 20 minutes is unacceptable for a forward of his size, especially against a Spurs team that capitalized on second-chance opportunities.

Grant is a big part of the Blazers offense and he normally would be in the starting lineup if his injuries did not stop him in his tracks. A change to the starting lineup could be in the cards, but he has to prove that he can be a nonzero before moving back into the first five.

Donovan Clingan

Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Clingan has been a revelation in his second season in the league, leading the team in rebounding (11.6 per game) and blocks. However, his playoff debut might be a game he would likely prefer to forget.

Clingan managed to score just four points on 2-of-7 shooting and seven rebounds in 22 minutes of action.
Tasked with slowing down Wembanyama, Clingan struggled to find his footing offensively and was repeatedly drawn out of the paint. His zero blocks were a significant departure from his 1.7 BPG average and his inability to convert around the rim prevented the Blazers from stretching the Spurs' defense.

Clingan will have to study the film hard and learn how to defend Wembanyama without fouling so that he can remain in the game and help the Blazers get back in the series.

Clingan is likely not going to be able to have dominant offensive numbers against Wembanyama, but if anyone can attempt to match him in size, it's him. He has to be able to stay on the court long enough because he is the Blazers' best hope of neutralizing Wembanyama during the series.

Looking Ahead to Game 2

The Blazers have to get Grant more involved in early post-sets and hope that Holiday’s veteran experience allows for a bounce-back shooting performance. If the Blazers can't find a way to make the Spurs pay for sagging off their veterans, this series could be over before it begins.

Game 2 is scheduled to tip off tomorrow at 5 p.m. PT inside the Frost Bank Center. Fans can watch the game on NBC or stream it on Peacock.

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