De’Aaron Fox scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter as the host San Antonio Spurs defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 114-95 on Tuesday, clinching a 4-1 victory in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Victor Wembanyama contributed 17 points, 14 rebounds, and six blocks as the second-seeded Spurs advanced to the conference semifinals, where they will face either the third-seeded Denver Nuggets or the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. It marks San Antonio’s first trip to the second round of the playoffs since the 2016-17 season.

The Spurs took control early and never looked back, building a 28-point lead in the first half and entering halftime ahead by 20. They maintained a 21-point advantage after three quarters.

Portland cut the deficit to 97-88 following a three-point play by Jrue Holiday with 5:46 remaining, but San Antonio quickly responded. Fox took charge down the stretch, making key baskets to shut the door on any potential comeback.

Julian Champagnie added 19 points for the Spurs, Dylan Harper scored 17, Stephon Castle finished with 15 before fouling out with 4:36 left, and Devin Vassell chipped in 10. Fox also led all players with nine assists.

For Portland, Deni Avdija led the way with 22 points. Jerami Grant added 12, while Robert Williams III and Sidy Cissoko contributed 11 points each. Donovan Clingan finished with 10.

Champagnie sparked San Antonio early, knocking down three 3-pointers and nearly a fourth as he finished with 11 first-quarter points, helping the Spurs take a 36-24 lead after one period.

San Antonio extended its dominance in the second quarter, pushing the margin to 54-28 after a Wembanyama three-pointer with 6:45 left. Portland responded with a 9-0 run, capped by a dunk from Clingan, to trim the deficit to 17.

However, the Spurs answered with a 12-2 surge highlighted by a Luke Kornet three-point play to restore control at 65-37.

The Spurs led 65-45 at halftime despite Wembanyama attempting just three shots, all of which he converted for seven points. Champagnie paced San Antonio with 14 points in the half, while Fox added seven assists. The Spurs shot 66.7% from the field compared to Portland’s 36.5%.

Avdija led all scorers at the break with 16 points.

-Field Level Media/Reuters