San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been ruled out of Game 3 vs. the Trail Blazers, remaining in the NBA's concussion protocol after a Game 2 fall.
San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama has been ruled out for Game 3 against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday as he continues to recover from a concussion.
Wembanyama hit his head on the floor in the second quarter of Tuesday's Game 2 when he lost his footing on a drive. He left for the locker room and did not come back. San Antonio fell 106-103, leaving the Western Conference series tied 1-1.
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman traveled with the Spurs to Portland on Thursday and got up shots at the Moda Center during Friday's morning shootaround. San Antonio listed him as questionable on the injury report before downgrading him to out.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said before tip-off Friday that Wembanyama is still working through the protocol but did not offer a return timeline.
"There's a lot that goes into that, but he's going well and progressing," Johnson said.
A player diagnosed with a concussion is required by the NBA concussion protocol to sit out for at least 48 hours and then work through a stepped return-to-play program, including light cardio, jogging, agility drills, and non-contact basketball work, with a neurological check after each step. Final clearance requires the team physician to consult with Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, who directs the NBA's concussion program.
The 22-year-old's absence is a significant blow for a Spurs team that finished with the Western Conference's top seed. Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 3.1 blocks in 64 games during the regular season and scored 35 points in his playoff debut, a Spurs franchise record, in San Antonio's Game 1 win.
Without him in Game 2, the Spurs blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead, the first time the franchise had done so in the playoffs since 2003, a span of 76 games. Stephon Castle led San Antonio with 18 points and eight rebounds, and Devin Vassell added 16 points and 12 rebounds. Veteran center Luke Kornet started the second half in Wembanyama's place and finished with 10 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes.
"We've all got to step up," Vassell said. "We know what Vic brings to the table. We've played without him for a couple games this year. It's going to be next man up. Everybody's going to have to step up. That's a huge void to fill. We can't get bogged down by it."
The Spurs went 12-6 in the regular season without Wembanyama, including 2-1 against the Trail Blazers.
Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson, who scored a playoff career-high 31 points in Game 2 and is averaging 24.5 points in the series, said Portland's approach would not change based on Wembanyama's availability.
"I pray that he's good," Henderson said. "But we got to just continue to run them, hit them."
Spurs guard Jordan McLaughlin is also out for Game 3 with a left ankle sprain. Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard remains out with a left Achilles tendon injury.
Game 3 is set to tip-off at 9:30 p.m. CT on Prime Video.