MINNEAPOLIS — The San Antonio Spurs suffered a major blow Sunday night when their franchise player Victor Wembanyama was thrown out of Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves after delivering an elbow to the throat area of forward Naz Reid during the second quarter of their intense playoff matchup.
The 7-foot-4 center was initially called for an offensive foul when he made contact with Reid, who along with teammate Jaden McDaniels had aggressively defended the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year following a Spurs missed three-point attempt that Wembanyama had secured on the rebound.
Following an official video review, while Target Center erupted with chants of “Kick him out! Kick him out!”, referees determined the contact warranted a Flagrant 2 designation due to excessive force above the shoulders. This classification automatically results in ejection, potentially altering the trajectory of this crucial contest. San Antonio had gained a 2-1 series advantage following their 115-108 victory in Game 3 on Friday.
Upon hearing the ruling, Wembanyama seemed confused, reportedly asking teammate Harrison Barnes: “What does that mean?”
As the young star exchanged handshakes with his San Antonio teammates while exiting the court, with the arena’s speakers playing Michael Jackson’s “Beat it!”, Reid successfully converted both technical free throws to put Minnesota ahead 38-34. Wembanyama’s night ended with just four points, four rebounds and three personal fouls across 13 minutes of action.
Minnesota’s physical approach has featured the combination of Reid, Julius Randle and McDaniels pressuring Wembanyama throughout the series, though the talented center has largely answered their defensive intensity. He exploded for 39 points while shooting an efficient 13-for-18 from the field in the previous game.
