Spurs’ Wembanyama (concussion protocol) leaves game against Blazers
Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama has been sidelined for the remainder of Tuesday night’s first-round playoff matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers in San Antonio after being placed in the concussion protocol.
Wembanyama sustained the injury when he fell face-first onto the court during the second quarter. He was fouled by Jrue Holiday after executing a spin move around the Trail Blazers point guard in the paint and was unable to brace himself during the fall, with his jaw making contact with the court with 8:57 left in the quarter.
He remained on the floor for approximately 30 seconds before sitting up for about a minute and conversing with teammate Stephon Castle. San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson called a timeout to assess Wembanyama, who promptly exited through the tunnel after standing up.
The Spurs subsequently announced that he was in the concussion protocol and would not be returning to the game.
An extended absence for Wembanyama would significantly impact San Antonio, which concluded the season with the second-best record in the league, largely due to the contributions of the versatile 7-foot-4 center from France.
This marks San Antonio’s return to the playoffs for the first time since 2019, having secured a victory over Portland in Game 1 of the series.
Wembanyama was recognized as the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, receiving the award unanimously. He averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, and a league-leading 3.1 blocks this season.
Information from The Associated Press was utilized in this report.
