Scoot Henderson had struggled to stay on the floor for much of the 2025-26 season. On Tuesday night in Game 2 against the San Antonio Spurs, he made up for lost time.
Henderson scored a season-high 31 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a win that evened their first-round playoff series at one game apiece. The performance was the kind the Blazers had been waiting for from their young guard, whose season had been repeatedly interrupted by health issues before the postseason began.
The victory gave Portland something to build on after dropping Game 1. Evening a series on the road, or forcing a split before returning home, is one of the foundational goals for any lower seed in a playoff matchup, and the Blazers accomplished exactly that.
Interim coach Tiago Splitter has been navigating more than just basketball since Tom Dundon took over as the team's new owner. Reports of cost-cutting measures inside the organization have drawn attention, but Splitter has kept his focus narrow. Asked about the Dundon reports after the game, Splitter said he was "trying to be a pro," according to ESPN, signaling he has no interest in letting front-office noise become a locker room distraction during a playoff run.
Henderson's explosion gives the Blazers a legitimate offensive threat to pair with whatever else Splitter can construct around him. At 31 points on a night when Portland needed every basket, the third-year guard showed he can handle a feature role when the stakes are highest.
The series now shifts with both teams at one win apiece, and Game 3 will give Splitter's group a chance to seize home-court advantage in what has already become a more competitive matchup than many anticipated heading into the postseason.
