In some potential good news for the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama is going to travel with the team to Portland, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Wemby entered concussion protocol after falling and smacking his chin on the court in in the second quarter of Game 2 on Tuesday. He briefly appeared dazed before he got up and headed to the locker room. The Spurs were quick dispel rumors that were going around during/after the game he had been taken to the hospital for x-rays on his head or jaw.
Per the NBA’s concussion protocol rules, he must go through a 48-hour observation period with no contact basketball allowed, although he can do workouts such as cardio and non-contact drills as deemed fit, which he was seen doing at practice yesterday and today. Players must also undergo cognitive/neurological testing, be symptom free and cleared by team and league doctors to return to play.
Head coach Mitch Johnson told reporters at practice today that Wemby is progressing well, but they have not yet determined whether he will be available for Games 3 and 4 in Portland.
Game 3 is on Friday, which is outside the mandatory 48-hour window since the incident occurred on Tuesday. While it would be rare for a player to return that quickly from a concussion — 5-7 days is the most common time frame — it’s not unheard of. That being said, there are levels of severity to concussions, and it would appear this is a mild one based on his quick progression. If he was in any danger to fly or the Spurs did not think he stood a chance of returning on Friday or Sunday for Game 4, he would not be traveling with them.
In other injury related news, Harrison Barnes and Dylan Harper are cleared to play in Game 3. Barnes exited in the fourth quarter Game 2 after suffering a shoulder stinger in a collision with Deni Avdija, and Harper reagitated an existing thumb injury after getting tangled with Donovan Clingan a play later. Harper returned to that game, Barnes did not.
Game 3 will be tomorrow at 9:30 PM CT on Prime. The Spurs went 2-1 against Portland in the regular season despite missing Wemby for all three games, including a win at the Moda Center in November. De’Aaron Fox scored 37 points in that game, and they will need a similar performance from him and for everyone else to step up in Wemby’s absence, should he miss one or both games. The Spurs were down two points when he exited early in the second quarter of Game 2. They regrouped and got the lead up to 14 in the fourth quarter, but the offense fell apart down the stretch to lose the game, 103-106. The series is currently tied 1-1.
