The San Antonio Spurs are hopeful Victor Wembanyama will be back before the season ends, and there is confidence he could play in at least one of their final two games. ’s Shams Charania said the 22-year-old center could return as soon as Friday against the Dallas Mavericks at home.
That would be a notable turn after Wembanyama suffered a rib contusion in the first half Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers and did not return for the second half. Tests showed a bad bruise to his rib, an injury that can affect breathing, and he is listed as day-to-day. The Spurs need him to play at least 20 minutes in one more game, and Charania said the team and Wembanyama believe he can do that, potentially Friday.
The timing matters because San Antonio has reached the last stretch of its schedule. After Wednesday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Spurs have only two games left, Friday against Dallas and Sunday against the Denver Nuggets. If Wembanyama plays Friday, it would give the team one last chance to check off the minutes requirement before the season closes.
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The injury also interrupts a season in which Wembanyama has been one of the league’s most productive young players. In 63 games, the 22-year-old is averaging 24.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 blocks while shooting 51 percent from the field. Those numbers have helped put him into the conversation near the top of the MVP race, with BetMGM listing him second at +2000.
That is why the question of is wemby playing tonight is more than a routine injury update for San Antonio. His absence Monday changed the Spurs’ final-week math, and his availability Friday would give the team the clearest path to getting him back on the floor long enough to satisfy what remains of its season-long workload requirement.
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For now, the Spurs sound encouraged, but the final call still depends on whether Wembanyama’s rib lets him get through enough contact and breathing work to suit up. If he does, Friday could be his last meaningful chance to close the season the way San Antonio wants.
