Wembanyama leaves Spurs’ matchup against the 76ers due to a bruised rib.
SAN ANTONIO — The Spurs have ruled Victor Wembanyama out for the second half of Monday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a left rib contusion.
Wembanyama sustained the injury during a collision with 76ers forward Paul George near halfcourt with 10:47 remaining in the second quarter. The incident occurred as Wembanyama received a pass while San Antonio was transitioning up the court.
After the play, Wembanyama exited the game and went to the locker room, returning to the bench with 6:49 left in the first half. With 44.3 seconds remaining before halftime, he requested to be substituted again and walked back to the locker room.
He did not return with the rest of the team after the break, and shortly thereafter, the Spurs announced that the 22-year-old would miss the remainder of the contest.
Wembanyama played for 15:40, which will count toward eligibility for postseason awards, as players are allowed two exceptions to the requirement of playing 20 minutes in a game, provided they have played at least 15 minutes. The third-year player concluded the game with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
As a leading candidate for NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a contender for MVP, Wembanyama must play at least 20 minutes in one of San Antonio’s remaining three games to remain eligible for postseason honors.
The French player was coming off a series of three consecutive games in which he scored no fewer than 30 points and recorded at least 15 rebounds along with 3 blocks. This streak tied for the second-longest since blocks were tracked in 1973-74, only behind Shaquille O’Neal’s four-game stretch in 1999, according to ESPN Research.
Wembanyama entered Monday’s matchup leading the Spurs in scoring (24.9 points per game), rebounds (11.6), and blocks (3.1).
