Castle and Spurs Knock Out Clingan and Trail Blazers; Fagnano Signs with Ravens

Editor’s Note: Hello Husky Nation, you might already be aware, but my original Huskies in the Pros X account was hacked a few nights ago. I have created a new one and it is the same username, avatar as the last one. I will continue to regularly post and get back to what I love doing… covering our favorite former Huskies! Thanks!

Here is the new link to my page!

Game 5: Donovan Clingan vs Stephon Castle

Donovan Clingan scored 10 points for his first career double-digit playoff performance, but it wasn’t enough. Stephon Castle had 15 points and five assists, helping the former Husky guard clinch his first NBA postseason series win Monday night as the San Antonio Spurs knocked out the Portland Trail Blazers with a 114–95 victory.

The Spurs opened the game on a 17-4 run, which included a Castle layup that forced Portland Head Coach Tiago Splitter to call a timeout. The Blazers stopped the run, momentarily, after Clingan grabbed an offensive rebound and made the layup. But later in the quarter, Castle with the head of steam, converts the layup through contact

Castle started the game 4-of-4 from the field.

The Blazers continued to leave Castle open from three, a strategy they used throughout the series, as he made two straight threes in the opening minutes of the second half to extend the Spurs’ lead to 71–47. In the five-game series, Castle shot 11-of-27 from behind the arc (40.7%), while making at least two per contest in the last four games.

Meanwhile, Clingan recorded a playoff career-high six assists and made this nifty move to the basket:

Overall, Clingan struggled offensively throughout the series, shooting just 30.4% from the field and 20.0% from three-point range. By comparison, he shot 53.9% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc during the regular season.

After the game, the two former 2024 national champion teammates shared a moment to cap off what was a fun series for UConn fans to watch.

Castle and the Spurs will have to wait to see who their next opponent is as they will face the winner of the three-seeded Denver Nuggets versus six-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Semifinals. At the time of publishing, the Timberwolves lead the series 3-2.

Andre Drummond

Joel Embiid was in the Philadelphia 76ers’ lineup for a second straight game, which limited Drummond’s minutes once again. The former Husky scored five points and grabbed four rebounds in just seven minutes as the 76ers kept their season alive by defeating the Boston Celtics, 113–87, to force a Game 6.

Drummond’s first points came on a pair of free throws, while his only shot attempt from the field was of course, a three-pointer:

In the first three games of the series, Drummond averaged just over 24 minutes per game with Embiid out of the lineup. However, he has played just six minutes per game over the last two contests since Embiid returned from an appendectomy.

Game 6 is scheduled for this upcoming Thursday back in Philadelphia. Tipoff is set for 8:00pm ET on NBCSN/Peacock.  

Joe Fagnano

The former Husky star quarterback inked a three-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens on Monday. Fagnano, who went undrafted in last week’s NFL Draft, had previously been invited to the Ravens’ rookie minicamp. The Ravens also signed former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, a Heisman finalist who also went undrafted, to a three-year deal.

Baltimore now has four quarterbacks on its roster: two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, Pavia, and Fagnano. Jackson is the clear starter, leaving Fagnano to compete for a backup role.

Tage Thompson

In Monday night’s Game 5, Thompson recorded his third assist of the series, but it wasn’t enough as David Pastrnak scored the game-winning goal nearly halfway through the first overtime period to keep the Boston Bruins’ season alive in a 2–1 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

The Bruins have inched closer in the series, now trailing three games to two, as both teams will head back to Boston on Friday, May 1st, where Thompson and the Sabres will try to clinch the franchise’s first playoff series win since 2007. The puck will drop at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Follow @HuskyPros/X for all the latest updates on your favorite Huskies in the Pros!