San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama suffers playoff concussion
San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama has been diagnosed with a concussion after briefly losing consciousness during Tuesday’s NBA playoff defeat against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The 22-year-old sustained the serious head injury following a mid-air collision with Jrue Holiday midway through the second quarter of Game 2.
He fell face-down on the court in visible distress and was immediately withdrawn from the remainder of the contest.
Without their leading scorer, the second-seeded Spurs surrendered a narrow 106-103 loss to Portland, leaving the first-round series tied at 1-1.
Strict NBA protocols await the French star
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the standout forward-center must now navigate the league’s rigorous concussion protocols.
Players are barred from returning to full basketball activities for a minimum of 48 hours after suffering a severe blow to the head.
Clearance to play requires the complete absence of symptoms and final sign-off from both team doctors and the NBA concussion protocol director.
Head coach Mitch Johnson will be anxiously awaiting medical updates ahead of a crucial Game 3 in Oregon this Friday.
A monumental season hanging in the balance
The towering Defensive Player of the Year has been the driving force behind a resurgent San Antonio side that racked up 62 regular-season victories.
He recently made history as the youngest and first unanimous winner of the league’s top defensive honour.
Averaging 25 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, the generational talent is also a finalist for the league MVP alongside Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
If the French international is not medically cleared for Friday’s trip to the Moda Center, his next opportunity to feature will be in Game 4 on Sunday.
