Victor Wembanyama's status for Game 3 is up in the air after he was ruled out of Game 2 following a concussion sustained in the second quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The San Antonio Spurs star went down hard with 8:57 left in the second quarter while driving to the basket with Jrue Holiday defending. Wembanyama lost his footing and fell forward, landing chin-first on the floor.
His eyes briefly closed after the fall, and several teammates rushed over without hesitation. Dylan Harper, Carter Bryant and Harrison Barnes were among the first to reach him.
Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Victor Wembanyama Injury Update
Wembanyama was pulled from the game after just 12 minutes and entered the league's concussion protocol shortly after. As it appears, the Spurs are not pushing the timeline and are monitoring him on a day-to-day basis.
Recently, ESPN's Shams Charania provided an update on his condition ahead of Friday's road game in Portland.
"Victor Wembanyama did report to the Spurs facility this morning, and his status is uncertain for Game 3," Charania said. "I am told that Victor Wembanyama is hopeful to travel with the team on Thursday to Portland, but he and the team won't know for sure until then."
Under NBA concussion protocol, players cannot return to full basketball activities for at least 48 hours after the injury is diagnosed. There is some room for light, gradual work after the first 24 hours, but only if symptoms are not getting worse.
Even then, Wembanyama must clear several required stages while remaining symptom-free throughout. The team doctor and the league's protocol director both have to sign off before he gets cleared.
With the 24-hour window from last night's diagnosis, there is a narrow opening for him to begin some light activity as early as Thursday. But traveling to Portland and being available for Game 3 on Friday would still require everything to go smoothly from here.
The Spurs dropped Game 2 without their franchise player finishing the night. Getting him back on the floor in Portland would change the series picture significantly. For now, Thursday is the day that matters most, and both Wembanyama and the Spurs will have a clearer answer then.
