Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama was ejected for elbowing Minnesota’s Naz Reid in the jaw in the second quarter of the Spurs’ 114-109 NBA playoff loss on Sunday. The 22-year-old French star was tossed from a game for the first time in his NBA career — and when officials announced the flagrant foul level two penalty, he had to ask teammate Harrison Barnes what it meant.
The Timberwolves were up 36-34 with 8:39 left in the second quarter when Wembanyama grabbed an offensive rebound and found himself battling Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels and Reid. McDaniels collided with Wembanyama, who spun to his right with his elbow raised, jabbing it backward and striking Reid hard on the jaw. He was immediately whistled for a foul, and officials determined after review that it rose to the level of a flagrant two, with unnecessary and excessive contact, which is automatic ejection.
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When he realized he’d been tossed, Wembanyama made a point of high-fiving all of his teammates as he made his way off the court. Even without him, the second-seeded Spurs had an eight-point lead early in the fourth quarter before the Timberwolves rallied for a win that leveled the best-of-seven series at two games apiece. Wembanyama, who had dazzled with 39 points in the Spurs’ game three victory on Friday, had four points and four rebounds before his sudden exit.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said he didn’t believe Wembanyama threw his elbow on purpose but was reacting to the physical challenge from the Timberwolves players. He said his 7-foot, 4-inch (2.24m) star absorbs aggressive physical contact game after game, with no calls from officials. “The amount of physicality that people play with him, at some level you have to protect yourself,” Johnson said.
“Every single play on every single part of the floor people are trying to impose their physicality on him. I get it, we get it, that’s part of the game,” Johnson said. “He doesn’t complain one time. We don’t complain …but at some stage he should be protected and if not, he’s going to have to protect himself. And unfortunate stuff like that happens.”
League officials can review the play and impose further punishment, including a fine or even a further suspension. “Anything more would be ridiculous,” said Johnson, whose Spurs host game five on Tuesday.
© 2024 AFP
