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San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama was ruled out for Game 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers after being placed in concussion protocol.
Wembanyama was in a bad mood after hitting the court face first in the second quarter. This season’s NBA Defensive Player of the Year was fouled by Blazers guard Jrue Holiday, and Wembanyama was unable to break his fall as his jaw hit the wood and play was stopped midway through the quarter.
After staying on the court for some time, Wembanyama sat down as coach Mitch Johnson called a timeout to check on his big man.
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Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs holds his head after falling to the court during the first half of game two of the Western Conference first round NBA playoffs against the Portland Trailblazers at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on April 21, 2026. (Ronald Cortés/Getty Images)
Despite appearing dazed at first, Wembanyama was able to get up and ran into the tunnel to be further evaluated in the locker room. However, the Spurs announced that he would not return to the game due to protocol.
The Spurs, who won Game 1 of the First Round series, look to increase their lead in the best-of-seven matchup against the Blazers. But doing it without Wembanyama, who led the team with 35 points in the Game 1 victory, is not ideal for the Spurs.
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But it’s hard not to look to the future, both for the team and the fan base. Being in the concussion protocol means having to pass all checkpoints in recovery before returning to the court.
San Antonio will play at Portland for the first time in this series on Friday night, with a 10:30 p.m. kickoff for Game 3. Fortunately for Wembanyama and the Spurs, that gives it a few days to potentially check the boxes needed to play.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama reacts next to guard Dylan Harper after falling to the ground during the first half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on April 21, 2026. (Scott Wachter/Image Images)
This is the Spurs’ first trip to the playoffs since 2019, and MVP finalist Wembanyama played a big role in helping the team achieve success in the regular season, enough to earn second overall in the Western Conference with a 62-20 record.
Wembanyama was also just named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, marking the first time anyone has won unanimously, as well as being the youngest to win this prestigious award.
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman earned 100 first-place votes, while the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren finished with 76 second-place votes. Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson finished in third place when the votes were counted.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs holds his head after going down during the first half of the second game against the Portland Trailblazers in the first round of the Western Conference NBA playoffs at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on April 21, 2026. (Ronald Cortés/Getty Images)
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Former Detroit Piston Ben Wallace came closest to being voted unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in 2001-02, falling just four votes short in a 120-person panel.
Wembanyama averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and a league-high 3.1 blocks this season.
