The Spurs’ first home game of 2026 was a failure because of an inability to guard the 3-point line and contain the glass. It was the fifth game dropped at Frost Bank Center this season, making their home record the same as on the road (12-5).
Luke Kornet had a hot stretch for four minutes, but the Trail Blazers ran up a 13-point lead to close the quarter because his teammates were late to the party. The Spurs were out of sync as the ball and body movement lacked the normal juice, and the help defense was stuck in quicksand. It was similar to how a chunk of the workforce can be sluggish when returning to the office after a long weekend or the holidays. An area they struggled with was containing second-chance scoring (13), yet Julian Champagnie, Stephon Castle and Kornet combined for seven baskets in the second quarter, closing the difference to four points going into halftime.
The Spurs’ finally got the lead a minute into the third as Kornet converted a 3-point play, and nine more lead changes followed to close the period with Portland ahead by seven. Unfortunately they subsequently couldn’t stop Deni Avdija, who nailed two 3-pointers in the fourth, plus turnovers and a cold stretch in the lane against Portland’s mobile size doomed them.