Malaki Branham and Keldon Johnson each scored 17 points off the bench as the San Antonio Spurs used an uber-balanced attack to defeat the visiting Portland Trail Blazers 118-105 on Thursday.
The Spurs were playing the second game of a road-home back-to-back and beginning a five-game homestand.
San Antonio took charge late in the first quarter, building an 11-point lead, although Portland whittled its deficit to one at halftime.
The Spurs stretched their advantage to 12 points after three quarters as their bench players — namely Branham, Johnson and Zach Collins — outworked the Portland reserves.
The Trail Blazers never got closer than five points in the fourth quarter.
Eight players scored in double figures for San Antonio, which snapped a two-game losing streak. Collins, Stephon Castle and Julian Champagnie had 14 points each. while Victor Wembanyama scored 12, Harrison Barnes 11 points and Blake Wesley 10. Johnson took a game-high 11 rebounds.
Deandre Ayton and Jerami Grant led the Trail Blazers with 21 points apiece, and Ayton chipped in 10 rebounds. Anfernee Simons added 19 points and seven assists, Shaedon Sharpe had 13 points and Scoot Henderson 11 for Portland.
The first quarter went back and forth before San Antonio sped away from a 16-15 deficit by forging a 12-2 run capped by a pair of free throws from Branham at the 1:46 mark. The Spurs stretched their advantage to 11 after a 3-pointer by Wembanyama with 29 seconds remaining and led 33-27 going into the second quarter.
The Trail Blazers pulled back to within 40-37 when Grant banked in a hook shot with 7:26 to play in the second. Portland tied the game on an alley-oop dunk by Ayton with 1:12 left in the period before the Spurs took a 56-55 lead into the break.
Ayton led all scorers with 17 points before halftime while Grant had 12 for Portland.
The Spurs stretched the margin to four points early in the third quarter, but Ayton’s running jumper brought Portland back to within 62-61 with 8:26 left. But San Antonio added on through the rest of the period and led 91-79 heading into the final quarter.
