NBA playoffs: Wembanyama continues to shine as Spurs advance to second round, 76ers stay alive San Antonio Spurs punched its heir ticket to the second round of the NBA playoffs on Tuesday, leading wire to wire in a 114-95 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Victor Wembanyama scored 17 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked six shots to help the Spurs wrap up a 4-1 win in their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series.
In the East, Philadelphia star Joel Embiid scored 33 points and handed out eight assists as the 76ers fended off elimination with a 113-97 victory over the Boston Celtics.
The Spurs, who clawed back from a 19-point deficit to win game four, burst out of the blocks and pushed their lead to as many as 28 before taking a 65-45 lead into half-time.
Portland unleashed an 11-0 run that cut a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit to nine, but the Spurs responded.
De’Aaron Fox scored 13 of his 21 points in the final period and Wembanyama — playing his second game after missing one with a concussion — delivered two massive blocks as San Antonio won a playoff series for the first time since 2017.
“It did feel like we let our foot off the gas,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “NBA games are long, it’s not an excuse. That means we’ve got to be better, but zero lead changes is zero lead changes.
“We have a lot of things we can be better at,” Johnson added of his young team, who had six players score in double figures. “But we’re ready to step up to the plate and swing.”
Seeded second in the West, the Spurs are chasing a sixth NBA title and their first since 2014. They will face either the Denver Nuggets or Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals.
The Timberwolves lead the Nuggets 3-2 in their series.
Embiid in rhythm
In Philadelphia, a dominant second half by Cameroon-born big man Embiid — playing just his second game since an April 9 emergency appendectomy — enabled the 76ers to cut the series deficit against Boston to 3-2.
“It’s kind of hard. I only had one chance to go up and back (on the court) before I came back,” Embiid said. “Using this game and last game to kind of get back into it.
“I found my rhythm in the second half. We adjusted some stuff at half-time. I feel OK. I feel good. We got a win. That’s all that matters.”
The series shifts back to Philadelphia for game six on Thursday with a seventh game, if needed, in Boston on Saturday.
“We did our job,” Embiid said. “We’re going to need everybody to come back to Boston.”
Tyrese Maxey added 25 points and 10 rebounds for the 76ers, who also had 16 points and nine rebounds from Paul George.
Jayson Tatum had 24 points and 16 rebounds for the Celtics, and Jaylen Brown added 22 points. The side was outscored 11-28 in the fourth quarter, producing its fewest points in any quarter this season with the series clincher up for grabs.
The Celtics, who have missed the playoffs only once since 2007, are trying to reach the second round for the fifth year in a row.
The Sixers have not won a playoff series since sweeping Brooklyn in the first round in 2023.
The Celtics, chasing a second NBA title in three seasons, or 76ers will face either the New York Knicks or Atlanta Hawks in the second round.
The Knicks seized a 3-2 lead in their series with a 126-97 home victory over the Hawks.
Jalen Brunson scored 17 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter and added eight assists while Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and 14 rebounds for the hosts.
Atlanta must win at home in game six on Thursday to force a winner-take-all game seven in New York on Saturday.
Published on Apr 29, 2026
#NBA #playoffs #Wembanyama #continues #shine #Spurs #advance #76ers #stay #alive
San Antonio Spurs punched its heir ticket to the second round of the NBA playoffs on Tuesday, leading wire to wire in a 114-95 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Victor Wembanyama scored 17 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked six shots to help the Spurs wrap up a 4-1 win in their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series.
In the East, Philadelphia star Joel Embiid scored 33 points and handed out eight assists as the 76ers fended off elimination with a 113-97 victory over the Boston Celtics.
The Spurs, who clawed back from a 19-point deficit to win game four, burst out of the blocks and pushed their lead to as many as 28 before taking a 65-45 lead into half-time.
Portland unleashed an 11-0 run that cut a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit to nine, but the Spurs responded.
De’Aaron Fox scored 13 of his 21 points in the final period and Wembanyama — playing his second game after missing one with a concussion — delivered two massive blocks as San Antonio won a playoff series for the first time since 2017.
“It did feel like we let our foot off the gas,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “NBA games are long, it’s not an excuse. That means we’ve got to be better, but zero lead changes is zero lead changes.
“We have a lot of things we can be better at,” Johnson added of his young team, who had six players score in double figures. “But we’re ready to step up to the plate and swing.”
Seeded second in the West, the Spurs are chasing a sixth NBA title and their first since 2014. They will face either the Denver Nuggets or Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals.
The Timberwolves lead the Nuggets 3-2 in their series.
Embiid in rhythm
In Philadelphia, a dominant second half by Cameroon-born big man Embiid — playing just his second game since an April 9 emergency appendectomy — enabled the 76ers to cut the series deficit against Boston to 3-2.
“It’s kind of hard. I only had one chance to go up and back (on the court) before I came back,” Embiid said. “Using this game and last game to kind of get back into it.
“I found my rhythm in the second half. We adjusted some stuff at half-time. I feel OK. I feel good. We got a win. That’s all that matters.”
The series shifts back to Philadelphia for game six on Thursday with a seventh game, if needed, in Boston on Saturday.
“We did our job,” Embiid said. “We’re going to need everybody to come back to Boston.”
Tyrese Maxey added 25 points and 10 rebounds for the 76ers, who also had 16 points and nine rebounds from Paul George.
Jayson Tatum had 24 points and 16 rebounds for the Celtics, and Jaylen Brown added 22 points. The side was outscored 11-28 in the fourth quarter, producing its fewest points in any quarter this season with the series clincher up for grabs.
The Celtics, who have missed the playoffs only once since 2007, are trying to reach the second round for the fifth year in a row.
The Sixers have not won a playoff series since sweeping Brooklyn in the first round in 2023.
The Celtics, chasing a second NBA title in three seasons, or 76ers will face either the New York Knicks or Atlanta Hawks in the second round.
The Knicks seized a 3-2 lead in their series with a 126-97 home victory over the Hawks.
Jalen Brunson scored 17 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter and added eight assists while Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and 14 rebounds for the hosts.
Atlanta must win at home in game six on Thursday to force a winner-take-all game seven in New York on Saturday.
Published on Apr 29, 2026
![Vox Creative, Roku debut new docuseries on history of American soccer The history of American soccer has spanned well over 120 years, and to date there hasn’t been many opportunities to look back at that history. With the 2026 World Cup about a month away, we now have a chance to do just that. Yesterday, SB Nation collaborated with Vox Creative and Roku to release Soccer Meets America, a 3-part docuseries that focuses on the rise of soccer in the United States.Soccer Meets America focuses around the meteoric rise in popularity, from the North American Soccer League days of the 1970s and 1980s to the 1984 Olympics, leading up to the 1994 World Cup. At the center of that history was Alan Rothenberg, who served as soccer commissioner for the 1984 Olympics, the president of the U.S. Soccer Federation from 1990 to 1998, and the CEO of the 1994 World Cup. He also had a hand in the start of Major League Soccer, adding women’s soccer to the Olympic program in 1996, and bringing the 1999 Women’s World Cup to the United States.Rothenberg recently released a new book entitled The Big Bounce: The Surge that Shaped the Future of U.S. Soccer. In the book, Rothenberg gives an inside account at how American soccer went from the days where leagues were not organized and fizzled quickly to some of the success we have today with leagues like Major League Soccer, the National Women’s Soccer League, and the United Soccer Leagues. He details his firsthand knowledge of what it took for the United States to host a successful soccer tournament at the 1984 Olympics, how the nation won the bid to host the 1994 World Cup, and how he was able to organize the federation to get everything done and push the game forward. He recently sat down for an interview on the USA Soccercast, and in that interview, he mentioned that the rise in popularity of the game wasn’t based on one big moment, but a sustained buildup of momentum.“[American soccer] sort of grew when I was starting in 1990,” Alan Rothenberg, former U.S. Soccer president and CEO of the 1994 World Cup, said in an interview for the USA Soccercast. “I had a glimpse of it back in the 70s when we had a team in Los Angeles ,and obviously the Cosmos set the world on fire at that time with Pelé and [Franz] Beckebauer…you had Giants Stadium. So there were those glimpses of what the future could hold. But as we started to build the soccer federation, our [1994] World cup team and the World cup organization, it just started to accelerate. So there wasn’t one ‘a ha!’ moment.”Soccer Meets America takes the unique yet unexpected path of professional soccer in the United States andn gives the story some definition. Through people like Rothenberg, we see that the history is shaped by chance, persistence, and communities that kept the game alive long before it found mainstream recognition. Starting with the sport’s deep roots in immigrant communities in the 1920s, each episode of the docuseries explores soccer on a personal and professional level. Both nostalgic and forward-facing, the series features a variety of influential figures in American soccer and aims to resonate with new and old fans of the sport alike.But there’s also the legacy of the 2026 World Cup, which will be different from what it was in 1994. “Well, obviously we’re starting from a different baseline,” Rothenberg said. “We started at virtually zero back in [1990], and now we’re starting from level 60 or 75…so the dramatic consequences will not be the same as they were after 94, but I think it’s going to be a huge spike in interest in the sport at all levels.”To grow the history, you must learn from it. And Soccer Meets America gives you a review of America’s soccer history and strengthes the foundations from which the sport’s culture and passion were created. As we approach the World Cup, that knowledge will be essential to craft the legacy that will carry long after the tournament ends. #Vox #Creative #Roku #debut #docuseries #history #American #soccer](https://i3.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/gettyimages-2273772608.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C10.740350081171%2C100%2C78.519299837658&w=1200&ssl=1 "Vox Creative, Roku debut new docuseries on history of American soccer The history of American soccer has spanned well over 120 years, and to date there hasn’t been many opportunities to look back at that history. With the 2026 World Cup about a month away, we now have a chance to do just that. Yesterday, SB Nation collaborated with Vox Creative and Roku to release Soccer Meets America, a 3-part docuseries that focuses on the rise of soccer in the United States.Soccer Meets America focuses around the meteoric rise in popularity, from the North American Soccer League days of the 1970s and 1980s to the 1984 Olympics, leading up to the 1994 World Cup. At the center of that history was Alan Rothenberg, who served as soccer commissioner for the 1984 Olympics, the president of the U.S. Soccer Federation from 1990 to 1998, and the CEO of the 1994 World Cup. He also had a hand in the start of Major League Soccer, adding women’s soccer to the Olympic program in 1996, and bringing the 1999 Women’s World Cup to the United States.Rothenberg recently released a new book entitled The Big Bounce: The Surge that Shaped the Future of U.S. Soccer. In the book, Rothenberg gives an inside account at how American soccer went from the days where leagues were not organized and fizzled quickly to some of the success we have today with leagues like Major League Soccer, the National Women’s Soccer League, and the United Soccer Leagues. He details his firsthand knowledge of what it took for the United States to host a successful soccer tournament at the 1984 Olympics, how the nation won the bid to host the 1994 World Cup, and how he was able to organize the federation to get everything done and push the game forward. He recently sat down for an interview on the USA Soccercast, and in that interview, he mentioned that the rise in popularity of the game wasn’t based on one big moment, but a sustained buildup of momentum.“[American soccer] sort of grew when I was starting in 1990,” Alan Rothenberg, former U.S. Soccer president and CEO of the 1994 World Cup, said in an interview for the USA Soccercast. “I had a glimpse of it back in the 70s when we had a team in Los Angeles ,and obviously the Cosmos set the world on fire at that time with Pelé and [Franz] Beckebauer…you had Giants Stadium. So there were those glimpses of what the future could hold. But as we started to build the soccer federation, our [1994] World cup team and the World cup organization, it just started to accelerate. So there wasn’t one ‘a ha!’ moment.”Soccer Meets America takes the unique yet unexpected path of professional soccer in the United States andn gives the story some definition. Through people like Rothenberg, we see that the history is shaped by chance, persistence, and communities that kept the game alive long before it found mainstream recognition. Starting with the sport’s deep roots in immigrant communities in the 1920s, each episode of the docuseries explores soccer on a personal and professional level. Both nostalgic and forward-facing, the series features a variety of influential figures in American soccer and aims to resonate with new and old fans of the sport alike.But there’s also the legacy of the 2026 World Cup, which will be different from what it was in 1994. “Well, obviously we’re starting from a different baseline,” Rothenberg said. “We started at virtually zero back in [1990], and now we’re starting from level 60 or 75…so the dramatic consequences will not be the same as they were after 94, but I think it’s going to be a huge spike in interest in the sport at all levels.”To grow the history, you must learn from it. And Soccer Meets America gives you a review of America’s soccer history and strengthes the foundations from which the sport’s culture and passion were created. As we approach the World Cup, that knowledge will be essential to craft the legacy that will carry long after the tournament ends. #Vox #Creative #Roku #debut #docuseries #history #American #soccer")
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