Victor Wembanyama hit his chin on the hardwood in Game 2 of the Western Conference first round on Tuesday night and left before returning, leaving San Antonio's playoff outlook tied to the condition of its 7-foot-4 centerpiece. The 22-year-old was ruled out after the fall, and the Spurs were 1-1 in the series against the Portland Trail Blazers with his status still uncertain.
Chris Nowinski called it an ugly concussion, saying Wembanyama was slow to get up, had trouble balancing when he first moved and took a hard bounce off the court. Nowinski said there was a brief stretch when it was hard to tell whether he was unconscious, but he was clearly not feeling right after the impact.
That makes Thursday's update from Spurs coach Mitch Johnson important: he said Wembanyama looks good and will travel with the team to Portland. Game 3 is set for Friday night at 10:30 p.m. ET, about 74 hours after the injury, but the NBA concussion protocol still requires at least 48 hours after the time of injury before a player can return to full participation, along with cognitive testing.
The timing matters because San Antonio has already shown it can handle Portland without him. The Spurs won the season series against the Trail Blazers without Wembanyama in any of the three games, a reminder that the matchup can still tilt in their direction even if the league's Defensive Player of the Year is limited. What remains unresolved is whether travel is only a precaution or the first sign he might be close enough to suit up for the biggest game of the series so far.
