Wembanyama enters protocol
- Spurs star Victor Wembanyama entered concussion protocol during the playoffs, per team injury updates. (oklahoman.com) - San Antonio went 12-6 in the 18 regular-season games he missed, a stat noted in coverage of his absence. (oklahoman.com) - Wembanyama's protocol has shifted Spurs title odds and raised questions about series outlooks. ( )
Victor Wembanyama entered the National Basketball Association’s concussion protocol after a hard fall in Game 2, putting his Game 3 status in doubt. (espn.com) The Spurs said Wembanyama sustained the concussion during Tuesday, April 21, loss to Portland, when he hit the floor chin-first in the second quarter and was ruled out after 12 minutes. (espn.com) Portland won that game 106-103 to even the first-round series at 1-1, and Game 3 is scheduled for Friday in Portland. (espn.com) The league’s concussion policy requires any player with suspected symptoms to be removed from play for a neurological evaluation in a quiet setting. (cms.nba.com) Under the same policy, a player diagnosed with a concussion cannot return to full participation until he completes a step-by-step recovery process and gets medical clearance. ESPN reported that full participation cannot resume for at least 48 hours after the injury, though gradual activity can begin after 24 hours if symptoms do not worsen. (cms.nba.com) (espn.com) San Antonio finished the regular season 62-20, the No. 2 seed in the West, with Wembanyama at the center of that rise. Yahoo Sports listed the Spurs as a first-round favorite at -550 even after the series moved to 1-1. (sports.yahoo.com 1) (sports.yahoo.com 2) The Spurs also have recent evidence they can function without him. Wembanyama missed 18 regular-season games, and San Antonio went 12-6 in those games. (oklahoman.com) That record came with a scoring bump, too: StatMuse says San Antonio averaged 120.7 points per game without Wembanyama this season. (statmuse.com) But the playoff question is narrower than a regular-season sample. Wembanyama had 35 points in San Antonio’s Game 1 win, then left Game 2 with five points and four rebounds before Portland’s comeback. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) For now, the series turns on the clock as much as the matchup: Wembanyama has to clear protocol, and the Spurs have to prepare for Friday without knowing if their best player will be available. (espn.com)
