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San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama was ruled out of Game 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers after he was placed in concussion protocol.
Wembanyama was out of sorts after hitting the court face first in the second quarter. The NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year this season was fouled by Blazers guard Jrue Holiday, and Wembanyama was unable to brace his fall, as his jaw hit the hardwood and play stopped midway through the quarter.
After staying down on the court for some time, Wembanyama sat up in a seated position as coach Mitch Johnson called timeout to check on his big man.
Despite seeming dazed at first, Wembanyama was able to stand and ran into the tunnel to get further evaluation in the locker room. However, the Spurs announced that he wouldn’t return to the game due to protocol.
The Spurs, who won Game 1 of the First Round series, are looking to further their advantage in the best-of-seven matchup with the Blazers. But doing so without Wembanyama, who led the team with 35 points in the Game 1 victory, isn’t ideal for the Spurs.
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But it’s hard not to look ahead for the team and fan base alike. Being in concussion protocol means having to hit all checkpoints in recovery before making a return to the court.
San Antonio is set to play in Portland for the first time in this series on Friday night, with a 10:30 p.m. tip-off for Game 3. Luckily for Wembanyama and the Spurs, that gives him some days to potentially check those boxes needed to play.
This is the Spurs’ first trip to the playoffs since 2019, and Wembanyama, an MVP finalist, played a large role in helping the team achieve regular-season success, enough so to earn the No. 2 overall seed in the Western Conference with a 62-20 record.
Wembanyama was also just named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, marking the first time anyone has been a unanimous winner as well as being the youngest to ever win the prestigious award.
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman earned all 100 first-place votes, while Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren finished with 76 second-place votes. Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson finished in third place when the ballots were tallied.
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Former Detroit Piston Ben Wallace came closest to a unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in 2001–02, falling just four votes short in a 120-person panel.
Wembanyama averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and a league-high 3.1 blocks this season.
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