Portland and Sixers rise to the occasion on the road, even series against San Antonio and Boston
The day was completed with a home win for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Houston Rockets, who saw the return of star Kevin Durant, who was absent on Saturday due to injury.
Jaylen Brown, during a game
The Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers won on Tuesday on the road against the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs, respectively, to even their NBA first-round NBA playoff series 1-1.
The day was completed with a home win for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Houston Rockets, who had the return of their star, Kevin Durant, absent Saturday due to injury.
Wembanyama leaves the court and San Antonio loses to Portland
Frenchman Victor Wembanyama left Tuesday's game against Portland Trail Blazers in the second quarter after suffering a blow to the head, and the San Antonio Spurs lost 106-103.
The 22-year-old, 7-foot-4 center left the court after staggering and hitting his head on the hardwood after colliding with Portland's Jrue Holiday.
Wembanyama looked dazed as he lay on the floor before slowly getting up and trotting off the court toward the locker room.
Spurs later confirmed that Wemby was admitted to concussion protocol and did not return to participate in this second game of the first round of the West.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson confirmed after the end of the game that Wembanyama had indeed suffered a concussion and would "follow protocol" as planned.
The Frenchman will have to rest for at least 48 hours.
Portland, led by Brazilian Thiago Splitter, managed to stay in the game and rebounded from a run of 13 consecutive San Antonio points to start the fourth period.
Scoot Henderson was Portland's leading scorer with 31 points, while Donovan Clingan contributed 11 rebounds.
A dunk by Robert Williams with 12 seconds to go ended up becoming a key moment of the game, a play that could have been different had Wembanyama been on the court.
Devin Vassell had one last chance to equalize for the Spurs, but his three-pointer fell short of the flawless mark of Australian Matisse Thybulle.
The series moves to the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, where Game 3 will be played Friday and Game 4 on Sunday.
Wembanyama could be available for Game 3 if tests he undergoes give reassuring results, or he may need to sit out longer.
Sixers win in Boston
The Philadelphia 76ers silenced Boston's TD Garden by beating the heavily favored Celtics 111-97 to even this Eastern Conference first-round series at one win apiece.
Bahamian VJ Edgecombe had a double-double of 30 points and 10 rebounds, and Tyrese Maxey added 29 points and nine assists in the victory for the Sixers, who now have home-court advantage.
The key now shifts to Philadelphia, where the Sixers will host the Celtics at the Wells Fargo Center on Friday for Game 3 and Sunday for Game 4.
Veteran Paul George, 35, added 19 points in 35 minutes on the court, with four rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block.
Jalen Brown stuck out for Boston with 36 points scored, becoming the game's leading scorer.
Rockets fall in the return of Durant
Kevin Durant made his 2025-26 playoff debut in the Houston Rockets' 101-94 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
Durant, 37, missed the first game of the series because of discomfort in his left knee following a collision with one of his teammates in a previous practice.
Led by LeBron James, the Lakers took the lead
On Tuesday, the Angelenos repeated the formula: the four-time NBA champion finished with a tally of 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
The leading scorer in NBA history won the head-to-head matchup against a Durant who was inaccurate, losing the ball nine times in 41 minutes in the game.
The Lakers increase their lead to 2-0 in the series and now face consecutive away games at the Toyota Center (Houston), with the possibility of defining the series in their favor if they win both games.
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