The San Antonio Spurs fell to the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night and have now lost three of their last five games.
In the loss, Luke Kornet stepped up in the absence of Victor Wembanyama, posting 23 points, eight rebounds, three assists and five blocks.
Julian Champagnie continued his red-hot shooting from distance, knocking down four three-pointers en route to a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
That said, Deni Avdija proved to be too much to contain as he handed San Antonio their 10th loss of the year after posting a triple-double with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Following the game, Spurs' head coach Mitch Johnson provided an encouraging update on Wembanyama's injury status.
"Vic (Wembanyama) is looking really good," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "I expect him to travel. It's day to day and that (game against the Grizzlies) is more than a couple of days away, but it's going well. We all want him to play. I know he's chomping at the bit and we'll get him out there as soon as we can."
Currently second place in the Western Conference, the return of Wembanyama would be crucial to their success, as they aim to extend their lead over the Denver Nuggets for the No. 3 seed. The present marks a great opportunity to do so, as three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is sidelined with a hyper-extended knee.
As the Spurs return to action Tuesday, all eyes will be on Victor Wembanyama as the team anticipates a return.
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