Bench Struggles Doom Blazers in Loss to Shorthanded Spurs

The Portland Trail Blazers are wasting away an opportunity by losing 112-101 to the San Antonio Spurs inside the Frost Bank Center.

Despite a dominant offensive night from Deni Avdija and a massive double-double from second-year pro Donovan Clingan, the Blazers couldn't overcome a struggling bench unit against the Spurs, who played without Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama.

While the Blazers' starters largely held their own against a shorthanded San Antonio lineup, the scoring drought from the bench did them in.

Key Takeaways From Blazers vs. Spurs

Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs guard guard Dylan Harper. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Avdija was arguably the best player on the floor for either team throughout most of the game. He scored 29 points on an efficient 13 of 21 shooting, stepping up for the Blazers when it matters most. His aggressiveness in the paint forced the Spurs to collapse their defense, but the Blazers couldn't punish them enough.

Clingan continues to solidify his spot as the defensive anchor of the future for the Blazers. He grabbed 11 rebounds with three blocks, but it was his five assists that had him standing out even more. His ability to facilitate from the high post shows growth within the Blazers offense this season.

Out of the Blazers' 101 points during the game, 91 came from the five starters. Just 10 points came off the bench for Portland, and that is simply not enough to be a team like the Spurs. The Blazers will have to clean that up in their final two games before the postseason.

The Blazers also struggled to draw contact and get to the free throw line, making just five trips to the charity stripe throughout the game. When they got there, they made just 5 of 10 free throw attempts. Only three players made it to the free throw line for Portland, which is not a positive sign for sustained success moving forward.

Statistic	Blazers	Spurs
Bench Points	10	48
Points in the Paint	48	52
3-Point Percentage	32	38
Free Throw Percentage	50	79

Scoot Henderson scored 20 points, while Toumani Camara added 18 on 7-of-12 shooting, including four 3-pointers. Jrue Holiday had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

For the Spurs, point guard De'Aaron Fox stepped up to the plate with Castle and Wembanyama sitting out. He had 25 points to lead all San Antonio scorers. Keldon Johnson had 20 off the bench, while rookie forward Carter Bryant had 17 with five 3-pointers.

Devin Vassell added 14, rookie point guard Dylan Harper posted 13, and starting center Luke Kornet joined them in double figures with 10 points.

What's Next For Blazers?

Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson shoots the ball against LA Clippers guard Jordan Miller | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While the Blazers dropped an all-important game against the Spurs, not all hope is lost. The Blazers didn't lose any ground in the Western Conference standings because the Los Angeles Clippers also lost their game to the Oklahoma City Thunder at home.

Now the Clippers and Blazers square off in a game that will either clinch the eighth seed for Los Angeles or give Portland the inside track and tiebreaker going into the final game of the season.

Tipoff between the two teams is scheduled for tomorrow at 7 p.m. PT inside the Moda Center. Fans can watch the game on Rip City Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.