SAN ANTONIO (AP) — San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama suffered a frightening fall during Tuesday evening’s playoff matchup with Portland, forcing him to leave the game and enter concussion protocol after landing face-down on the court.
The team announced that Wembanyama would not be returning to the contest as he undergoes evaluation for a potential head injury. A prolonged absence for the towering French athlete would deal a significant setback to San Antonio, which secured the NBA’s second-best regular season record largely due to the 7-foot-4 center’s dominant play.
The incident occurred when Portland’s Jrue Holiday committed a foul on Wembanyama following the big man’s spin move around the guard in the low post. Unable to break his fall properly, Wembanyama’s jaw made contact with the hardwood with 8 minutes and 57 seconds left in the second period.
The young star stayed down for approximately 30 seconds before sitting up and conversing with teammate Stephon Castle for about a minute. Head coach Mitch Johnson immediately called a timeout to assess his player’s condition, and Wembanyama quickly headed to the locker room once he stood up.
This marks San Antonio’s first playoff appearance since 2019, with the team taking Game 1 of their Western Conference opening round matchup against the Trail Blazers.
Just one day earlier, Wembanyama received recognition as the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, earning every first-place vote for the honor. During the regular season, he posted averages of 25 points and 11.5 rebounds while leading the league with 3.1 blocks per game.
