The San Antonio Spurs announced that star players Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle will not take the court for Wednesday evening’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The team disclosed that Wembanyama sustained a rib contusion during Monday’s game, while Castle is experiencing soreness in his right knee.
For Wembanyama, the timing is crucial as he needs just one more appearance of at least 20 minutes to satisfy the NBA’s 65-game minimum requirement for individual award consideration.
With only two contests remaining after Wednesday’s game – Friday’s home date with Dallas and Sunday’s finale against Denver – the window is narrowing for the young star.
San Antonio expressed optimism that both players could return to action when they host the Mavericks on Friday.
Both athletes took part in Wednesday’s pre-game shootaround session.
“I can’t tell you too much of how (Wembanyama) looked, but he heals fast,” veteran teammate Harrison Barnes commented.
Wembanyama’s injury occurred during the opening half of San Antonio’s 115-102 triumph over Philadelphia. In that same contest, Castle delivered an impressive performance with 17 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds.
Despite playing fewer than 16 minutes against the 76ers, Wembanyama contributed 17 points, five rebounds and three blocks. His playing time qualified as an official game appearance under NBA rules, which permit two instances of 15-19:59 minutes to count toward the mandatory minimum.
The Spurs enter Wednesday with a stellar 60-19 record, having already secured the Southwest Division championship and guaranteed themselves no lower than the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs. They currently sit three games behind conference leaders Oklahoma City, who hold a 63-16 mark.
