Victor Wembanyama exits briefly in third

Victor Wembanyama briefly exited Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 3 after colliding with New York Knicks wing Josh Hart and limping off late in the third quarter, according to live game coverage from Sports Illustrated. The San Antonio Spurs star later returned to the bench before the quarter ended, but there was no immediate postgame injury update in the reports reviewed Thursday. The sequence came during a tight opener at Frost Bank Center, where San Antonio hosted New York in the first Finals meeting between the franchises since 1999. NBA.com’s live blog showed Wembanyama on 13 points, four rebounds and three blocks when he headed to the bench with 6:50 left in the third. ### When did Wembanyama leave the game? Late in the third quarter on June 3, Wembanyama went down after contact with Hart and limped off the floor, Sports Illustrated’s live updates said. The outlet described the play as a collision with Hart and reported that Wembanyama briefly exited. (si.com) At 10:14 ET, NBA.com’s live blog recorded San Antonio leading 63-50 with 6:50 remaining in the third quarter and noted that Wembanyama was heading to the bench. The league’s update did not describe the contact, but it fixed the timing of his departure within the game flow. (si.com) ### What was the situation in Game 1 when he went out? Game 1 tipped at 8:30 p.m. ET at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, according to NBA.com’s game page. The opener matched a Spurs team back in the Finals for the first time since 2014 against a Knicks team making its first Finals appearance since 1999. (nba.com) By the time Wembanyama went to the bench, San Antonio had built a 13-point lead. NBA.com later reported that New York answered with a 15-4 run, cutting the deficit to 71-69 with 2:52 left in the third, before the game was tied at 76 entering the fourth quarter. (nba.com) ### Did he return? Sports Illustrated reported that Wembanyama returned to the bench later in the third quarter after the brief exit. The report did not say that he immediately re-entered live action, only that he was back on the bench after leaving the floor. (nba.com) NBA.com’s live updates later listed Wembanyama with 15 points on 3-of-13 shooting at the end of the third quarter, which indicates he remained part of the game story after the scare. The same update said the score was tied 76-76 after three quarters. (si.com) ### Was there any official injury update after the game? No immediate official update was available in the reports reviewed after the game. Sports Illustrated’s live coverage flagged the injury scare but did not post a team diagnosis or formal status update in the material available Thursday. (nba.com) The absence of an immediate statement left Game 1 coverage focused on the sequence itself: contact with Hart, a limp to the bench and Wembanyama’s later return to the sideline. NBA.com’s live blog likewise documented the bench exit but did not include a medical update in the entries reviewed. (si.com) ### What comes next for San Antonio and New York? Game 2 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for Friday, June 5, at 8:30 p.m. ET in San Antonio, according to NBA.com’s series page. The same page lists Game 3 for June 8 in New York if the series proceeds on schedule. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2)