San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama said initial tests showed only a left-knee hyperextension after he left Wednesday night’s 134-132 victory over the New York Knicks.
The 7-foot-4 standout went down with 10:32 remaining in the fourth quarter while fighting for a rebound against Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordan Clarkson. His knee buckled, and he was helped up by teammate Stephon Castle before limping to the locker room under his own power.
“I was confident,” Wembanyama told reporters, according to ESPN. “I was this close to coming back in the game. They had to hold me back. It was just a hyperextension, so it should be minimal. We still have to do everything tomorrow to check that everything’s OK.”
The 20-year-old added that he expects to be available for the Spurs’ next game. Additional examinations are scheduled for Thursday.
Wembanyama reappeared on the bench in warmups with 1:22 left but did not return to the floor. Head coach Mitch Johnson said seeing him seated with teammates late in the contest was “encouraging.”
Before exiting, Wembanyama totaled 31 points and 13 rebounds in 24 minutes. The third-year center had missed 12 games earlier this season with a left calf strain, returning on Dec. 13 in the NBA Cup semifinals against Oklahoma City. He came off the bench for six games before rejoining the starting lineup on Dec. 27 versus Utah.
Entering Wednesday, Wembanyama was averaging 24.0 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game.
Source: Hoops Wire
