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San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama was ruled out of Game 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers after he was placed in the concussion protocol.
Wembanyama was out of action after only hitting the field 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 support his fall as his jaw hit the hardwood and play stopped midway through the quarter.
After being down on the field for some time, Wembanyama settled into a sitting position 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 Cortes/Getty Images)
Despite appearing dazed at first, Wembanyama was able to stand and ran into the tunnel for further evaluation in the dressing room. However, Spurs announced that he would not be returning to the game due to protocol.
The Spurs, who won Game 1 of the First Round series, look to extend their advantage in the best-of-seven matchup with the Blazers. But doing so without Wembanyama, who led the team with 35 points in the Game 1 win, is not ideal for the Spurs.
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But it’s hard not to look ahead for both the team and the fans. Being in concussion protocol means hitting all checkpoints in recovery before returning to the court.
San Antonio is set to play at Portland for the first time in this series on Friday night, with a Game 3 tip-off at 6 p.m. 10:30 p.m. Fortunately for Wembanyama and Spurs, that gives him a few days to potentially check the boxes necessary 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/Imagn Images)
This is the Spurs’ first trip to the playoffs since 2019, and Wembanyama, an MVP finalist, played a big role in helping the team achieve regular season success, enough to earn the No. 2 overall seed in the Western Conference with a 62-20 record.
Wembanyama has also just been named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, marking the first time anyone has been a unanimous winner as well as being the youngest ever to win the prestigious award.
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman received all 100 first-place votes, while the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren finished with 76 second-place votes. Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson finished third when the ballots were counted.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs holds his head after going down in the first half of Game Two against the Portland Trailblazers in the Western Conference first round NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas on April 21, 2026. (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
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Former Detroit Piston Ben Wallace came the closest to a unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in 2001-02, falling just four votes short of a 120-person panel.
Wembanyama averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks in the league this season.
