Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama was ruled out of the Spurs’ NBA playoff game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, three days after he suffered a concussion. Wembanyama had been listed as “questionable” on the Spurs injury report, but coach Mitch Johnson announced less than two hours before tip-off that the 22-year-old Frenchman wouldn’t play.
“Victor is not playing tonight,” Johnson said. “Obviously, there’s a lot that goes into that, but he’s doing well and progressing.” Wembanyama was placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol after taking a hard fall to the court in Tuesday’s 106-103 loss to Portland in San Antonio, which evened their best-of-seven first-round series at one game apiece.
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Wembanyama attended team workouts on Wednesday and Thursday but was not allowed to take part under the protocol that calls for a gradual return to activity with medical evaluations at each step. He made the trip to Portland and took part in the Spurs’ shoot-around on Friday morning, further sparking speculation that he could be cleared to play.
Johnson, pressed as to whether there was “optimism” that Wembanyama would be back for game four, said he wasn’t qualified to say. “There’s gonna be a lot of questions. I understand, and follow-ups, and I don’t think that I’m the appropriate person — and especially at this time — to answer a lot of them,” Johnson said. “But he is doing well and progressing.”
Wembanyama was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year last week and is a finalist for the Most Valuable Player award. He averaged a career-high 25 points, a career-best 11.5 rebounds, a league-best 3.1 blocked shots and one steal per game this season.
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