Victor Wembanyama is back in full force as the San Antonio Spurs head home looking to finish off the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday in Game 5 of the Western Conference first-round playoff series.

The Spurs claimed a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series Sunday with a 114-97 come-from-behind win in Portland. If the Trail Blazers win Tuesday, they can force Game 6 in Portland on Thursday.

De’Aaron Fox scored 28 points in Sunday’s win and Victor Wembanyama had 27 in his return from a concussion. He sat out the second half of Game 2 and all of Game 3 due to concussion protocol. Wembanyama also had 11 rebounds, seven blocks and four steals in Sunday’s victory.

Stephon Castle scored 16 points for the Spurs. He’s dealing with an injured left hand and was in foul trouble in Game 4, when Devin Vassell added 11 points. San Antonio trailed by 19 points following a ragged second quarter but dominated after halftime, outscoring Portland 73-35.

“We need to find the answers, you know, before having our back against the wall,” Wembanyama said. “But that also shows the strength of our team. In adversity, we stick together, we get closer to each other. We feed off of each other’s energy. There’s no useless drama between us. You know, we thrive when we do the invisible efforts that benefit others. There’s no jealousy. There’s no nobody cares about their stat line, so it’s our greatest strength.”

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson has witnessed a maturation process with his young team that became more evident with the road playoff win. The next step might prove most difficult — closing out the No. 7 Blazers.

“This gives you a lot of takeaways,” he explained. “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. We have to continue to balance that attack mentality, starting off games while still anchoring to our fundamentals and discipline of game plan, execution.”

Deni Avdija had 26 points in Game 4 to rebound from his poor shooting in the previous two games. Avdija was 8-of-31 shooting combined in Games 2 and 3. The Blazers will need him on his game along with Scoot Henderson, who had a season-high 31 points in the Trail Blazers’ Game 2 win in San Antonio but missed all seven of his shot attempts Sunday.

A hot start could do wonders for Portland’s confidence Tuesday following abysmal second-half showings in Portland.

“We knew they were going to come out and be more aggressive,” Avdija said. “We expected it. I just think coming out the half, we didn’t make shots, and they went on a run. Suddenly, you look up at the scoreboard, and it’s a closer game.”

Portland coach Tiago Splitter said his team would go back to work to try to find a solution and extend the series.

“I think the guys fought hard,” Splitter said. ” In the second half, we mentally kind of like broke down, couldn’t get over the fact that we were up, and then they just came back to the game. Didn’t shoot the ball well, turned over the ball.

“We’ve got to hold our composure and be more present. I tried to, you know, slow down a little bit but couldn’t find a solution. It’s all of us, coaches, players we all got to be better. We got to win every game that we have in front of us, and we’re going to fight one by one.”

–Field Level Media

In an about-face, FIFA will allow tailgating for World Cup games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., the Boston World Cup host committee announced on Monday.

FIFA originally stated that tailgating would not be allowed at any of the 104 matches, which will be played June 11-July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Gillette Stadium will host five group-stage matches, one round-of-32 match and a quarterfinal match at the home of the NFL’s New England Patriots.

Patriots games, New England Revolution games and concerts allow tailgating at the stadium, and “there are no venue restrictions or local public safety restrictions in place that would prohibit it,” according to the committee.

While tailgating will be allowed, fewer fans will be able to participate as there are 15,000 fewer parking spots available to the public for World Cup games (5,000) compared to Patriots games (20,000).

The Metro Boston Transit Authority charges $20 round trip from Boston to Foxborough for NFL and MLS games, but the fee for World Cup games is $80. Fans will also have the option to take an express bus for $95 round trip from Boston-area locations to Gillette Stadium.

New York City announced on Monday that a fan fest for each of the city’s five boroughs will be held in conjunction with World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J., where the MLS’ New York Red Bulls play, will also hold a fan event. Other host cities are planning similar events.

–Field Level Media

In the second-closest vote in the award’s recent history, a 100-member global media panel selected Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg as the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year on Monday.

Flagg, who earned the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy along with the honor, outpaced his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets 412-386. Flagg earned 56 first-place votes to Knueppel’s 44.

Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe finished third with 96 points — receiving zero first-place votes and only one second-place vote — while San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (5) and Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward (1) were the only other players to receive votes.

The No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft lived up to all of the lofty expectations. Flagg led all qualifying rookies with 21.0 points per game and finished second in assists per game (4.5) and third in rebounds per contest (6.7).

“This is a truly great honor,” Flagg said in a statement. “I’m grateful to receive this award and thankful to everyone in the Dallas Mavericks organization who believed in me from Day 1.

“None of this happens without my teammates, coaches and the people around me pushing me every day. I came here to compete and help this team win. This is just one step forward in what we’re building.”

Flagg became the fourth rookie to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and four assists per game since the NBA-ABA merger. Larry Bird (1979-80), Michael Jordan (1984-85) and Luke Doncic (2018-19) reached those plateaus.

At 19 years, 112 days — as of April 12 — Flagg is the second-youngest honoree, just six days older than LeBron James, who was tabbed in 2003-04.

Some experts thought Knueppel might earn the award, as he led the entire league in 3-point field goals made (273), outpacing the former rookie mark by 67 treys. But the fourth overall pick in the draft finished third on the Hornets in scoring (18.5 ppg) behind Brandon Miller (20.2) and LaMelo Ball (20.1)

Four years ago, Toronto’s Scottie Barnes edged Cleveland’s Evan Mobley 378-363, which remains the smallest gap under the current format (2002-03).

–Field Level Media