Victor Wembanyama's playoff debut lives up to the Spurs' legendary standards

SAN ANTONIO — At the coda of a night he and the basketball world had long awaited, Victor Wembanyama had one last thing to do.As Wembanyama wrapped up his NBC interview after the San Antonio Spurs’ 111-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the teams’ first-round playoff series, and the sea of bodies surrounding him parted to clear a path toward the tunnel, he suddenly paused. To his left was another crowd for De’Aaron Fox, his fellow All-Star, his vet, his point guard. Wembanyama goes as Fox goes. They shut the door on the game with a clever delayed pick-and-roll that had the Blazers’ defense fooled. They cleaned up each other’s mistakes and always had an eye out for each other. After a stellar regular season that flipped the NBA on its head, they know how much they rely on each other to reach their potential.Advertisement