Wembanyama concussion scare

Victor Wembanyama is in the National Basketball Association’s concussion protocol after a face-first fall in San Antonio’s 106-103 Game 2 loss to Portland on Tuesday, April 21. (nba.com) The injury happened with 8:57 left in the second quarter, when Wembanyama spun in the paint, was fouled by Jrue Holiday, and could not brace his fall before his jaw hit the court. He stayed down for about 30 seconds, went to the locker room after a timeout, and did not return. (nba.com) Portland erased San Antonio’s lead after he left and won 106-103 to tie the Western Conference first-round series at 1-1. Scoot Henderson scored a playoff career-high 31 points, and the series shifts to Portland for Game 3 on Friday, April 24. (espn.com) Wembanyama had five points, four rebounds, one block and one assist in 12 minutes before the exit. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after the game, “He has a concussion. He’s in the protocol.” (nba.com) The protocol is not a one-day checklist. The league’s 2025-26 policy says a player with a suspected concussion must be removed for evaluation, monitored for symptoms, and cleared through a staged return process built around neurological recovery. (cms.nba.com) That matters for this series because the NBA.com game report said players in the protocol must get at least 48 hours of inactivity and recovery before clearing later benchmarks, and Game 3 is only three days after the injury. The same report said final clearance requires neurological testing and signoff from a team doctor in consultation with the league’s concussion protocol director. (nba.com) San Antonio has at least one encouraging sign. KSAT reported Thursday, April 23, that Wembanyama completed light cardio work Wednesday without his symptoms worsening and is “hopeful” of traveling to Portland, though that did not mean he had been cleared to play. (ksat.com) The Spurs have played without him before, but not in a playoff series built around his size and defense. NBA.com said San Antonio went 12-6 in the regular season without Wembanyama, and Devin Vassell said the response now has to be “next man up.” (nba.com) Luke Kornet replaced Wembanyama and finished with 10 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes, but Portland’s win changed the series from a possible 2-0 Spurs lead to a 1-1 split heading north. Friday’s injury report will give the first formal signal on whether Wembanyama can move from scare to return. (nba.com)