After four days off following a Sunday win over the Pelicans in which the Spurs lost three more players (Stephon Castle, Zach Collins and Keldon Johnson) to injury, they traveled to Portland already shorthanded to face a struggling Trail Blazers club. Things would only get worse if their starting point guard was ejected early, ruining a strong start to the game. The Blazers were then red-hot in the first 16 minutes of the second half and took a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter, but the Spurs came back to life and won in a thrilling comeback while missing five rotation players.

The Spurs were sluggish early in the game as the Trail Blazers quickly took a 12-5 lead, but they responded after a timeout. They went on a 25-6 run, sparked by six quick points from Jeremy Sochan, who returned to the starting lineup in place of an injured Castle. Charles Bassey and Devin Vassell also provided a big spark off the bench, but then Chris Paul was sent off with two quick (albeit mild) technicals for complaining to the referees. Nevertheless, they went into the second quarter with a 33:25 lead.

The Spurs had to play by committee with some unconventional lineups at point guard thanks to all the injuries and now missing Paul, with some minutes for Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham and Sandro Mamukelashvili. It was a sloppy second quarter for both teams, and the referees completely swallowed their whistles after Paul’s ejection, leaving both teams unable to defend physically, making it even more difficult to score. Vassell and Victor Wembanyama were the Spurs’ primary scorers, combining for 28 points on 11-for-20 shooting to keep the Blazers at bay and take a 52-42 lead into halftime.

Similar to the start of the game, the Blazers – namely Jerami Grant – were the hot team to open the second half. They hit their three-pointers and went on an 18-8 run to decide the game again. The Spurs were alert enough to stay mostly even for a while before the Blazers finally took the lead for the first time since the first quarter with just over two minutes left in the third quarter. Portland, the league’s third-worst team in the third quarter, got everything it wanted on offense, especially in transition, scoring 46 points to take an 88-80 lead over the Spurs in the final frame.

Things didn’t get any better for the Spurs at the start of the fourth quarter, as it was Anfernee Simons’ turn after three quarters. With less than eight minutes left, they had a lead of up to 17, and it seemed like the Spurs just didn’t have the personnel to stage a comeback, but as it turned out, they did. Like clockwork, the shots stopped falling for Portland and started falling for the Spurs. Julian Champagnie initiated the comeback with a three-pointer and the Spurs fought their way forward. Sochan was all over the glass and on defense, and Champagnie hit his third three-pointer of the run, putting the Spurs back in front at 112-109 with 2:08 left.

Both teams were back and forth from there, and the Blazers responded and tied the score several times, including on a layup by Grant with just over six seconds left after Vassell had just made a nice fadeaway. The Spurs called a timeout to advance the ball, and Grant bit on a pump fake from Wemby, who made the game-winning free throws with two seconds left and Portland no longer had a timeout. It was the fourth time this season that the Spurs have won despite trailing by 15 points or more, and while the 118-116 win doesn’t look impressive on paper, it was a testament to the ten players who were there Were out there and fought to the bitter end.

Game notes

• We’ve mostly seen the good side of CP3 as a lead, but this was probably the first time he showed his dark side that has turned off opposing fans for so many years. Yes, the referees allowed a lot of contact, and without knowing what he was saying to them, the two quick technicians and the ejection for simply arguing over calls seemed excessive. Still, he should have known to stop after the first T and take into account his team’s injury situation – especially Castle or Tre Jones – and not put them in the situation he was in.
• Vassell looks like himself again. Aside from missing a few free throws, he had a fantastic game with 23 points (4-7 from three), 6 rebounds and 5 assists in 30 minutes. The Spurs are so deep on the wings and it’s hard to say if the Spurs should change rotations to get him back into the starting lineup. Castle, Champagnie and Harrison Barnes have all made a case for keeping their starting positions, but should Vassell and Sochan really stay if they come off the bench when everyone is healthy? It’s a good problem to have, but one that the coaching staff will have to worry about at some point.
• Charles Bassey continues to perform when requested. His 8 points, 4 rebounds and 1 block (I swear he had more) don’t stand out, but he is a solid rim protector and strong at the rim. We’ve probably said this a few times over the last few years, but if we could somehow make Bassey and Collins a hybrid player, you’d have the perfect backup center.

Game play

There were plenty of plays to choose from during the comeback, but this one from Vassell (almost) sealed the result, showed he was back and was a reminder of the automatic offense the Spurs are missing out on without him.

Next up: Sunday vs. Timberwolves

6:00 p.m. CT on FanDuel Sports Network