MINNEAPOLIS (AP) 鈥� Midway through this rugged second-round for the San Antonio Spurs, in the first of what could well be many memorable postseason runs for Victor Wembanyama, the 22-year-old phenom was growing weary of the physical play he’s been facing from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With one frustrated swing of his right elbow on Sunday night, Wembanyama changed the course of 鈥� and perhaps the series.
Ejected after striking Timberwolves center Naz Reid in the throat early in the second quarter, Wembanyama was confined to watching his teammates admirably overcome his notable absence before fading down the stretch in a 114-109 defeat that evened the series at two games apiece.
鈥淚t was a whole lot of grabbing and pushing and shoving, but that鈥檚 a part of the game,鈥� said Spurs rookie Dylan Harper, who matched his career high with 24 points. 鈥淭he next man has got to step up. I think we all did a great job of controlling what we can control.鈥�
Wembanyama was swarmed by Reid and Jaden McDaniels after grabbing an offensive rebound following a missed 3-pointer. With McDaniels tugging on his left arm, Wembanyama snapped and jabbed his right arm back toward Reid 鈥� and struck him square in the neck.
Television replays showed Harper behind the scrum with a stunned expression, his mouth agape. McDaniels quickly bearhugged Wembanyama to try to avoid escalation, and the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama took a seat on the bench while the officials reviewed the video with the fans at Target Center chanting, 鈥淜ick him out!鈥�
The foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 2 for excessive contact above the neck. That penalty triggers an automatic ejection, immediately swinging the balance of a pivotal game in the series toward the Timberwolves. The Spurs had the lead after their 115-108 win in Game 3 .
When the penalty was announced, Wembanyama appeared to ask teammate Harrison Barnes, He slapped hands with each of his Spurs teammates on his way off the floor, with the arena sound system blaring Michael Jackson’s 鈥淏eat it!鈥�
Wembanyama finished with four points, four rebounds and three fouls in 13 minutes.
鈥淚鈥檓 glad he took matters into his own hands. Not in terms of hitting Naz Reid 鈥� by all means, being very clear about that,鈥� Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. 鈥淚’m glad Naz Reid is OK, and I didn鈥檛 want him to elbow him, but he鈥檚 going to have to protect himself.鈥�
Johnson raised a concern beyond simply how the Timberwolves have been playing Wembanyama, who was the first overall pick in the 2023 draft.
鈥淭he level of physicality that opponents have been trying to impose on him since his first days in the league, combined with the lack of protection from the referees, is really disappointing,鈥� Johnson said. “And to a certain extent, it鈥檚 starting to become downright nauseating.鈥�
With Reid, Julius Randle and McDaniels in their frontcourt, the Timberwolves have had plenty of to send at Wembanyama, even if he’s been . He had 39 points on 13-for-18 shooting from the floor in Game 3.
鈥淵ou never want anyone to get hurt, but you could see the frustration. I could see where he’s coming from,鈥� Harper said. 鈥淲e’ve got his back, and I think he can learn from that, and he just knows not to do that again.鈥�
Now the series shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5 on Tuesday, with the league certain to assess the play for potential further punishment, but Johnson dismissed any concern about a suspension.
鈥淭here was zero intent,” he said. “I think it would be ridiculous.鈥�
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