Wembanyama ejected after elbowing Naz Reid in Game 4

Victor Wembanyama’s Game 4 ejection mattered for two reasons at once. It changed a playoff game in real time, and it opened a new question about how opponents can drag the Spurs’ best player into a fight he doesn’t need. San Antonio lost 114-109 in Minneapolis after Wembanyama was tossed early in the second quarter for a Flagrant 2 on Naz Reid, and the series is now tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 on Tuesday. The good news for the Spurs is simple — the ejection ended his night, but it did not turn into a suspension. ### What actually got him ejected? Wembanyama grabbed a rebound, got crowded by Reid and Jaden McDaniels, and then swung his right elbow upward into Reid’s neck and throat area. Officials called an offensive foul first, reviewed it, and upgraded it to a Flagrant 2 for excessive contact above the neck — which means automatic ejection. (nba.com) ### Why was the call so severe? The NBA gets especially strict once contact goes high. Above-the-neck contact is where a hard playoff foul stops being just “physical” and starts looking dangerous. That doesn’t mean officials judged intent as malicious, but it does mean the play crossed the line fast enough that replay wasn’t going to save him. (nba.com) ### Was this normal for Wembanyama? Not really — that’s part of why the play landed so hard. It was the first ejection of his NBA career. And it came two days after one of the biggest playoff games he’s ever played, when he dropped 39 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in San Antonio’s Game 3 win. The contrast was brutal — from total control on Friday to losing the plot on Sunday. (nba.com) ### Did the ejection decide the game? Not immediately, which is what made the loss sting more for San Antonio. The Spurs actually kept swinging without him and even carried an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter. But Anthony Edwards closed the door with 16 of his 36 points in the final period, and Minnesota finished the comeback to even the series. Reid also hit the two free throws that came with the ejection. (nba.com) ### Why are teams going at him like this? Because it works, at least sometimes. Wembanyama is dominant, but he’s still a lean 7-foot-4 big man who gets hit, bumped, and crowded every possession in playoff basketball. Minnesota’s frontcourt — Reid, McDaniels, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert in the broader rotation — has made every catch and rebound feel expensive. Basically, the Wolves are testing whether frustration can do what normal defense can’t. (nba.com) ### Was there any extra punishment? No. By Monday, the league had decided there would be no additional discipline, so Wembanyama is available for Game 5 in San Antonio on May 12. That matters because a one-game suspension would have completely changed the series math. Instead, this stays a composure story, not an availability story. (nba.com) ### So what should we watch now? Watch his response, not just his stat line. The Spurs can live with missed shots or turnovers. What they can’t afford is their best player getting baited into another automatic whistle. In a 2-2 series, emotional control is now part of Wembanyama’s job description. ### Bottom line (sports.yahoo.com) The elbow cost San Antonio Game 4 leverage, but not Game 5 availability. Now the real test is whether Wembanyama turns that lesson into a calmer, meaner, smarter game. (nba.com)