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With the NBA playoffs set to begin next Saturday, the San Antonio Spurs are looking to bring back their glory days of winning five titles from 1999 to 2014.
Victor Wembanyama has been the primary reason for the team’s return to playoff basketball, leading the NBA in blocks per game for the third time in as many seasons while averaging 24.5 points and 11.5 rebounds, both career highs.
However, the 7-foot-4 phenom not only suffered a rib contusion on Monday night, putting him at risk for the rest of the regular season and the start of the playoffs, but his MVP candidacy is also at risk.
The NBA states that players must play 65 games in order to receive votes for season awards such as MVP and All-NBA teams. However, Wembanyama has played in 63.
That number does not include the NBA Cup Final, which actually does not count toward the stat sheet, but the NBA does count it toward the season-award total, marking him just a bit safer.
If Wembanyama wants to be named MVP, the NBA allows a maximum of two games in which a player logs between 15 and 19.59 minutes to count toward the league-required minimum of 65 games played for award eligibility. Wembanyama had 17 points, five rebounds and three blocks while playing 15:40 in the first half on Monday.
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Wembanyama took an inadvertent elbow to the ribs from Paul George when the Philadelphia 76ers forward was attempting to deflect a pass as the 7-foot-4 Frenchman was sprinting up the court on a fast break with 10:49 remaining in the first half. Wembanyama tumbled to the court and remained down for a minute while George patted him on the backside apologetically.
Wembanyama subbed out of the game shortly after the collision and immediately went into the tunnel leading to the locker room while keeping his arm pressed to his side.
He returned with 5:33 remaining in the period, but asked head coach Mitch Johnson to take him out with 44 seconds remaining in the first half. He again went into the tunnel leading to the locker room while holding his arm to his side and was ruled out at the start of the second half.
San Antonio (60-19) is 2.5 games behind the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder (62-16) and assured of finishing no worse than second in the conference.
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Each of the Spurs’ final three games are at home.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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