04/23/26 11:53:00
Printable Page
04/23 11:52 CDT Victor Wembanyama will travel with the Spurs to Portland but
his Game 3 status remains uncertain
Victor Wembanyama will travel with the Spurs to Portland but his Game 3 status
remains uncertain
By RAUL DOMINGUEZ
Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO (AP) --- Victor Wembanyama will travel with the San Antonio Spurs
to Portland for games this weekend while continuing to complete the steps
mandated by the league's concussion protocol.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson stopped short Thursday of saying Wembanyama will play
in Game 3. Wembanyama is "progressing," Johnson said, but his status against
the Trail Blazers remains uncertain.
"He looks good," Johnson said, noting that the Spurs hadn't even started
discussions on when Wembanyama can play again.
Wembanyama --- the league's first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year
and one of three finalists for the Most Valuable Player award --- suffered a
concussion in the Spurs' Game 2 loss to Portland on Tuesday night, leaving the
game in the second quarter.
Game 3 of the series --- tied at a game apiece --- is Friday in Portland,
followed by Game 4 there on Sunday. The Spurs were scheduled to fly to Portland
on Thursday afternoon.
There are very specific steps that players have to clear before being removed
from the league's concussion protocol. Players begin the return-to-play process
with light exertion --- such as riding a stationary bike, jogging, agility work
and non-contact basketball drills --- and each step is followed by another
neurological examination.
Wembanyama's results will also be compared to his baseline neurological
evaluation --- which players undergo prior to each season --- before doctors
permit him to move forward in the return-to-play plan.
"It's pretty straightforward," Johnson said. "Obviously, we hope he'll be back
at some point. But we'll allow the protocol to play out. And again, there's
nothing more important than his health."
Any extended absence by Wembanyama would be a massive blow to San Antonio,
which finished with the league's second-best record behind the versatile
7-foot-4 center from France. They were 12-6 in the regular season without
Wembanyama.
Wembanyama averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a league-best 3.1
blocks per game this season.
"We know that he's chomping at the bit to get back on the court and be with his
guys," Johnson said.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
|
