San Antonio, TX — Spurs center Victor Wembanyama was placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol Tuesday night after hitting his chin on the court during Game 2 of the Western Conference first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The injury occurred in the second quarter when the 7-foot-4 rookie stumbled on a drive to the basket and struck his chin on the hardwood. San Antonio ruled him out for the rest of the game at 8:18 p.m. local time.
By 9:54 p.m., further examination confirmed a concussion. According to league rules, Wembanyama must remain inactive for at least 48 hours, then clear several symptom-free benchmarks before returning to play. Additional testing is scheduled for Wednesday.
Before exiting, the newly crowned Defensive Player of the Year posted five points, four rebounds, one block and one assist in 12 minutes. He had led the No. 2-seeded Spurs to a 111-98 victory in Game 1 with 36 points.
With Wembanyama sidelined, head coach Gregg Popovich is expected to lean more heavily on veteran big men Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk as the series continues.
Source: Hoops Rumors
