San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson reflected on his team’s 114-93 road win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 4 of the first-round series on Sunday, emphasizing lessons learned from repeated second-half comebacks.
“Gives you a lot of takeaways. A lot of feedback on things you got to be better on and improve upon and try to not put yourself in a position when you got to dig yourself out of a hole,” Johnson said.
The Spurs erased a 17-point halftime deficit at Moda Center, with Victor Wembanyama returning from concussion protocol to post 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks, while De’Aaron Fox added 28 points in a decisive fourth-quarter push.
Johnson also addressed Wembanyama’s return after a pregame clearance. “I don’t know the time. I mean, it’s been a long process… I’m really happy for him to be back out there with his teammates and being able to compete,” he said.
On the young star’s physical performance, Johnson added, “I thought he looked great… I knew he was going to come out chomping at the bit… we have to continue to balance that attack mentality starting off games while still anchoring to our fundamentals and discipline.”
At halftime, San Antonio trailed 58-41, but Johnson downplayed structural changes. “There wasn’t a ton of new. There was more clarity in doubling down and picking a fight on a few things… we executed better,” he said.
He credited improved ball movement and screening for flipping the game. “We moved the ball better. We set better screens and rolled more… that put more pressure on the rim,” Johnson explained after the Spurs generated high-percentage looks in the third quarter.
Johnson also highlighted De’Aaron Fox’s impact across the full 48 minutes. “Might have been his best game as a Spur. I thought he dominated the game in every way… played with pace… then he started scoring and spoon-feeding teammates,” he said.
Looking at the team’s broader identity, Johnson stressed trust in his roster and Wembanyama’s continued growth. “I’ve learned to trust that young man and I’m rolling with him,” he said, as San Antonio moved within one win of advancing.
