San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol following a hard fall during Game 2 of the playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers. The incident occurred in the second quarter when Wembanyama tumbled face-first to the court after being fouled by Jrue Holiday.
Victor Wembanyama: what to know
Details of the Incident
Wembanyama was attempting to maneuver around Holiday in the paint when he lost his balance and fell without being able to brace himself. His jaw struck the court with 8:57 remaining in the second quarter. After the fall, he remained on the court for approximately 30 seconds before sitting up and conversing with teammate Stephon Castle. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson called a timeout to assess Wembanyama’s condition, after which he quickly exited the court and ran through the tunnel for further evaluation.
Impact on the Team
The Spurs announced that Wembanyama would not return to the game and confirmed he was in the concussion protocol. His potential absence poses a significant challenge for San Antonio, which is competing in the playoffs for the first time since 2019. The team had previously secured a victory against Portland in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series.
Wembanyama’s performance this season has been noteworthy; he was named the NBA’s defensive player of the year, winning the award unanimously. He averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, and a league-leading 3.1 blocks per game, making him a crucial asset for the Spurs as they navigate the playoffs.
Following the game, Coach Johnson confirmed Wembanyama’s condition, stating, “He has a concussion. He’s in the protocol. We’ll take the proper and appropriate steps.” Any extended absence by Wembanyama would be a massive blow to San Antonio, which finished with the league’s second-best record behind their 7ft 4in center.
Concussion Protocol Guidelines
Under league guidelines, a player in the concussion protocol must have at least 48 hours of inactivity and recovery. They must also hit several benchmarks without symptoms before being cleared to play. A player must undergo neurological testing and receive final clearance from a team doctor in consultation with the league’s concussion protocol director.
Game 3 is scheduled for Friday in Portland. It seems improbable that Wembanyama would be cleared by then, but Johnson wouldn’t speculate about his status, saying, “The protocol is the protocol. We’ll just follow it as everyone else does and plan accordingly.”
The Spurs went 12-6 during the regular season without Wembanyama. Guard Devin Vassell commented on the situation, stating, “We’ve all got to step up. We know what Vic brings to the table. We’ve played without him for a couple games this year. It’s going to be next man up. Everybody’s going to have to step up. That’s a huge void to fill. We can’t get bogged down by it.”
Wembanyama was fouled by Jrue Holiday after he spun around the Trail Blazers point guard in the paint. He was not able to brace himself on the fall, and his jaw hit the court with 8:57 remaining in the second quarter. Wembanyama remained on the court for about 30 seconds before sitting up for about a minute and speaking to teammate Stephon Castle. Johnson called a timeout to check on Wembanyama, who immediately ran through the tunnel after getting to his feet.
Veteran Luke Kornet replaced Wembanyama and started the second half at center, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes. Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter remarked on the incident, saying, “It was scary. I saw the images. It was not good.” He acknowledged Kornet’s performance, stating, “With him out, Kornet, I think he did a tremendous job. We still have to figure out how to play better when Kornet is on the court.”
San Antonio is in the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and beat Portland in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series behind 35 points from Wembanyama. Without him, the Spurs blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in the playoffs for the first time since 2003, a span of 76 games. Vassell expressed concern for Wembanyama, stating, “We’ll definitely check in on him. Our prayers are with him. We just want him to be good.”
In other playoff games, VJ Edgecombe had 30 points and 10 rebounds while playing through pain after taking a hard fall early in the game. Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics 111-97 to tie their playoff series at 1-1. Meanwhile, LeBron James had 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, leading a short-handed Los Angeles to a victory and a surprising 2-0 lead in their playoff series.