SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was sidelined for the second half of Monday night’s matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers after sustaining a bruised left rib injury.
The towering 7-foot-4 center was hurt when Philadelphia’s Paul George accidentally struck him with an elbow while trying to disrupt a pass during a fast break sequence. The collision occurred with 10:49 left on the clock in the opening half. Following the contact, George immediately offered an apologetic pat on Wembanyama’s back as the injured player stayed on the floor momentarily.
Just 13 seconds after the incident, Wembanyama was substituted out and headed straight to the locker room tunnel, visibly holding his arm against his side.
The French sensation made a brief comeback with 5:33 left in the first half but requested to be removed from the game again when 44 seconds remained before halftime. Once more, he walked toward the locker room while protecting his injured side, and team officials confirmed he would not return for the second half.
During his limited 15 minutes and 40 seconds of action, Wembanyama managed to score 17 points, grab five rebounds, and record three blocks.
The injury comes at a crucial time as Wembanyama has publicly expressed his desire to capture the league’s Most Valuable Player trophy this season. NBA regulations permit only two contests where players log between 15 and 19.59 minutes to qualify toward the mandatory 65-game minimum for major award consideration.
Wembanyama has appeared in 63 contests this season, which includes the NBA Cup Final.
The Spurs, who hold a 59-19 record, are wrapping up their regular season schedule with four consecutive home games, beginning with Monday’s Philadelphia contest.
