Victor Wembanyama is in the clear.
The San Antonio Spurs superstar will not be suspended, or even fined, after he was ejected from Sunday night’s 114-109 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals, ESPN reported.
Wembanyama was charged with a flagrant 2 foul, resulting in an automatic ejection, for elbowing Minnesota center Naz Reid in the head/neck area.
The incident occurred with 8:39 remaining in the second quarter after Wembanyama corralled an offensive rebound and got tangled up with Reid and Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels.
After a review, Wembanyama was assessed the flagrant 2 and appeared to ask teammate Harrison Barnes from the bench, “What does that mean?”
Wembanyama’s ejection — the first in his three-year NBA career — came amid a tense series in which Reid and teammate Julius Randle have played with hyper-physicality.
“The amount of physicality that people play with him, at some level, you have to protect yourself,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said after Sunday’s loss in Minneapolis.
“It’s starting to get actually disgusting in terms of when he tries to fight through things and be professional and mature and deal with some of that stuff. I’m glad he took matters into his own hands. Not in terms of hitting Naz Reid … but he’s going to have to protect himself if they’re not.”
Wembanyama, 22, is eligible to return for Tuesday night’s Game 5 in San Antonio, but the 7-4 center’s absence loomed large Sunday as the Timberwolves evened the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
Minnesota won the rebounding battle, 49-41, and turned 15 offensive rebounds into 24 second-chance points. Wembanyama totaled just four points and four rebounds in 12 minutes.
Johnson said Sunday that he did not expect Wembanyama to be suspended, contending there was “zero intent” to injure Reid.
“You could see the frustration,” added Spurs rookie guard Dylan Harper. “I could see where he was coming from. I don’t think it was intentional. It was more like, ‘They keep grabbing me. I’m trying to protect myself because ain’t no one else going to protect me.'”
Reid did not say much when he was asked about taking an elbow from Wembanyama.
“Pain is weakness leaving the body,” Reid said. “That’s it.”
This has been a roller-coaster first postseason for Wembanyama. He is averaging 21.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game, but he suffered a concussion during the first round, causing him to miss the second half of Game 2 and all of Game 3 against the Portland Trail Blazers.
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