SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama will suit up for the San Antonio Spurs in tonight’s pivotal Game 5 matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, following his early dismissal from Game 4 due to an elbow thrown at an opponent.
The Spurs organization is breathing a sigh of relief over the news. According to guard Devin Vassell, if Wembanyama carries some frustration from missing most of the previous contest, that could work in San Antonio’s favor.
“I know he was upset not being able to play that game,” Vassell commented during Tuesday’s practice session, which featured notable attendees including Spurs President Gregg Popovich, franchise icon Manu Ginobili, and former assistant coach Brett Brown. “So, I know that he’s going to be ready to go. That’s what we need. We need that upset Vic who’s ready to attack the game for sure.”
Tuesday night’s contest represents what many consider the most significant game of Wembanyama’s professional basketball career — a Game 5 showdown in a deadlocked 2-2 playoff series, where the victor advances within one win of reaching the Western Conference finals.
While Vassell welcomes a motivated Wembanyama, he emphasized the need for controlled aggression.
“We’ve seen it before. We’ve seen when Vic gets upset,” Vassell explained. “I mean, we just need him to calm his emotions, make sure that he doesn’t let his emotions take over because at the end of the day like I said, he can’t get any flagrants, he can’t get anything like that. So, Vic knows what he’s got to do and he’ll be ready.”
The young star’s removal from Sunday’s game occurred during the second quarter following a rebounding situation that involved Minnesota players Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels. While fighting for the ball, Wembanyama swung his arms and made contact with Reid’s face using his elbow.
Game officials reviewed the incident and elevated the initial foul to a Flagrant 2 violation, resulting in automatic ejection. The league office conducted its standard post-game analysis and announced Monday that no additional punishment would be imposed. The NBA retained the option to issue fines or extend the suspension into Game 5 and beyond if deemed necessary.
“I don’t think we even thought about it much at all,” Minnesota’s Mike Conley Jr. shared with media during the Timberwolves’ Tuesday practice. “I think once the ruling came down, it was just like, we expected that and just moved forward. It’s one of those things. We don’t want guys to miss games. We want to play against the best. We don’t want to have guys missing games like that.”
Beyond Wembanyama’s elbow situation, San Antonio faces additional concerns regarding player availability. The team recently added Dylan Harper to their injury report just hours before Thursday’s Game 5 tip-off, citing left knee discomfort. Harper joins point guard De’Aaron Fox on the questionable list, as Fox continues dealing with right ankle soreness according to team medical staff.
