Scoot Henderson’s playoff debut can’t be ignored despite Blazers’ loss

While all the talk on Sunday was about the first game of San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama in the postseason, Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson also made a good account of himself in his debut in the playoffs on Sunday.

The seventh-seeded Trail Blazers lost to the second-seeded Spurs, 111-98, in Game 1 of their first-round matchup at Frost Bank Center, but Henderson proved that he can deliver in a pressure-packed environment.

The 22-year-old guard finished with 18 points on 7-of-11 field goals, three rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 27 minutes. He got the starting nod from coach Tiago Splitter, replacing Shadeon Sharpe.

Scoot Henderson in his playoff debut:

18 PTS
7/11 FG
3 REB
3 AST
3 TO
-3 +/-

Was aggressive, confident and energetic all of which is exactly what we needed more of tonight pic.twitter.com/8ibsmWWfzj

— Blazers Lead (@BlazersLead) April 20, 2026

Henderson has had issues with consistency and efficiency since entering the NBA, but he is slowly but surely addressing them. He has learned to be more selective with his shot-making, although he can still be erratic at times.

He committed three of Portland’s 10 turnovers in Game 1.

He was limited to only 30 games in the regular season due to a hamstring injury he suffered during a workout in the summer. He averaged 14.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.

It is worth noting that Wembanyama and Henderson were in the same draft class in 2023, with the former going No. 1 and the latter being picked at No. 3.

Henderson has shown flashes of brilliance, displaying his strength and explosiveness. If he can continue building on his laudable showing in Game 1, he could be the Trail Blazers’ unsung hero against the Spurs, providing help to Deni Avdija, Jrue Holiday, and Jerami Grant.

They will try to even the best-of-seven series in Game 2 on Tuesday.

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