Wembanyama in protocol
- Spurs star Victor Wembanyama entered concussion protocol during playoff action, removing him from immediate availability. (oklahoman.com) - Yahoo Sports reported San Antonio's title odds fell from second to third in the latest odds update after his injury. (sports.yahoo.com) - He missed 18 regular-season games earlier, with the Spurs going 12-6 during that span, creating depth questions for the playoffs. ( )
Victor Wembanyama entered the National Basketball Association’s concussion protocol after a face-first fall in Game 2, putting his immediate playoff availability in doubt. (oklahoman.com) The San Antonio Spurs said Wembanyama would not return after the second-quarter play Tuesday night, and Portland closed out a 106-103 win to tie the first-round series 1-1. Game 3 is Friday in Portland. (nba.com) Wembanyama was fouled by Jrue Holiday on a drive with 8:57 left in the second quarter, could not brace himself, and hit his jaw on the court. He had five points, four rebounds, one block and one assist in 12 minutes before exiting. (nba.com) Under the league’s 2025-26 concussion policy, a player suspected of a concussion must be removed from play and evaluated, and a diagnosed player cannot return until he clears a step-by-step process directed by team and league medical staff. (cms.nba.com) NBA.com’s game report said players in the protocol must have at least 48 hours of recovery before full participation can resume, making a quick turnaround before Friday’s Game 3 difficult. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after Game 2, “The protocol is the protocol.” (nba.com) San Antonio finished the regular season with the league’s second-best record, and betting markets reacted quickly after the injury. Yahoo Sports reported the Spurs slipped from second to third in updated championship odds. (sports.yahoo.com) The Spurs did go 12-6 in the 18 regular-season games Wembanyama missed, a record teammates pointed to after the loss. Devin Vassell said the response now has to be “next man up.” (nba.com) That regular-season cushion looks different in a playoff series against a Portland team that erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit after Wembanyama’s exit. Yahoo Sports reported Wembanyama was back at the Spurs’ practice facility on Wednesday and was hopeful of traveling Thursday. (sports.yahoo.com) The next checkpoint is simple: whether Wembanyama can clear protocol in time for Game 3, or whether San Antonio has to try to regain control of the series without him. (sports.yahoo.com)
