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San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama returned to the floor for Game 4 against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night after being placed in concussion protocol following Game 2.
Wembanyama said he was disappointed with the way the concussion protocol was handled, but did not elaborate.
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San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama reacts after a play in the second half of Game 4 of the NBA playoffs in the first round against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, Ore., on April 26, 2026. (Jenny Kane/AP)
“The way the situation was handled was very disappointing,” he told reporters. “I’m not saying not playing was a good or bad decision. It was a decision, I’m not saying it was good or bad. But the way the situation was handled was very disappointing.”
He suffered the injury in the first half of the Spurs’ 106-103 loss to the Trail Blazers on Tuesday. He did not return to the game and traveled to Portland while he continued the steps to be cleared for Game 4.
“I don’t want to go into details. I don’t want it to be a distraction. Ask me again after the end of the season,” Wembanyama said.
He scored 27 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and served up seven blocks in the Spurs’ 114-93 victory on Sunday. The team announced that Wembanyama would be able to play about an hour before tip-off.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama and Portland Trail Blazers guard Sidy Cissoko look for a rebound in the second half of Game 4 of the NBA playoffs in the first round in Portland, Ore., on April 26, 2026. (Jenny Kane/AP)
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The 7-foot-4 unanimous NBA Defensive Player of the Year averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 blocks per game during the regular season.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said the team was prepared to play without Wembanyama if he was not cleared.
“Fortunately, we have some experience preparing for a variety of lineups and rotations,” Johnson said before the game. “I think the guys have really strengthened us as a staff, I would say, throughout the season, to be able to have a brand and an identity regardless of availability.”
Players like Wembanyama, who has been diagnosed with a concussion, must pass a series of benchmarks before being cleared to play. The results are compared to baseline neurological evaluations that the players take at the start of the season.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama looks on during the first half of Game 4 of the NBA playoffs in the first round against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, Ore., on April 26, 2026. (Jenny Kane/AP)
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Game 5 is set for Tuesday night in San Antonio.
