Victor Wembanyama hit the deck in the second quarter of Game 2 between the San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers. Here's what we know so far.
The San Antonio Spurs are tied, 57-57 at halftime in Game 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers, but it will be an uphill battle for the rest of the contest, and perhaps the series.
Midway through the second quarter, Wembanyama stumbled while driving against Jrue Holiday. He hit the floor chin-first, lay motionless on the floor, clearly in pain, before trying to get up. He stumbled before running straight into the locker room.
A few minutes later, it was revealed that he is in concession protocol and will not return. In his immediate absence, the Spurs went on a bit of a run on both ends of the floor, heading into the half with a narrow lead after trailing by double digits, but the entire NBA world is holding its breath.
Victor Wembanyama Ruled Out for Game 2
In his 11 minutes, Wembanyama finished with five points and four rebounds. The game was (and remained) physical early, although Holiday did not incite the contact that caused Wembanyama to hit the deck. Instead, he "pulled the chair" out from under him, and Wemby lost control of the ball and his footing.
Head injuries in the NBA are rare, but always scary. If he has a concussion, he could miss up to 48 hours, making him questionable for Game 3 in Portland.
After Wembanyama stumbled to the locker room, the game got increasingly chippy, with Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox getting into it with Scoot Henderson and Deni Avdija.
As Wembanyama headed out of the game, Mason Plumlee immediately started getting warmed up, although backup Luke Kornet was able to close out the half. Kornet played key minutes in Game 1 and ended the first half with six points and solid defense.
As the team headed to the locker room, Castle was pulled aside by NBC's courtside crew, although it was clear that he had not been filled in on the extent of Wembanyama's injury. The league dictates that any player who may have suffered a concussion be removed immediately. While there's no official diagnoses yet, his initial reaction suggests that the injury might be more serious than fans would like to hope.
If Wembanyama misses extended time, it could be an early exit for San Antonio. Of course, nothing is concrete quite yet, and all we know is that he will miss the remainder of Game 2.
Keep it posted to SpursRoundtable for up-to-date news and updates surrounding Wembanyama's injury and the rest of the series.