Victor Wembanyama ruled out of Spurs Game 2 after entering concussion protocol
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San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama was ruled out of Game 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers after being placed in concussion protocol.
Wembanyama was out of sorts after his first shot on 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 recover his fall as his chin hit the hardwood and play was stopped midway through the quarter.
After staying on the court for a while, Wembanyama took a seated position as coach Mitch Johnson took a timeout to check on his big man.
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Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs holds his head after falling on the court during the first half of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs Game Two against the Portland Trailblazers on April 21, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Although he appeared dazed at first, Wembanyama managed to get to his feet and ran towards the tunnel to receive further evaluation in the locker room. However, Spurs announced that he would not return to the game due to protocol.
Having won Game 1 of the First Round series, the Spurs look to further their advantage in the best-of-seven match against the Blazers. But doing so without Wembanyama, who led the team with 35 points in the Game 1 win, isn’t ideal for the Spurs.
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But it is difficult for both the team and the fan base not to look forward. Being in concussion protocol means having to pass all checkpoints during recovery before returning to court.
San Antonio will play at Portland for the first time in this series for Game 3 on Friday night at 22:30. Fortunately for Wembanyama and Spurs, this gives him a few days to tick the boxes needed to play.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama reacts next to guard Dylan Harper after he goes down in the first half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas on April 21, 2026. (Scott Wachter/Imagn Images)
This is the Spurs’ first playoff berth since 2019, and MVP finalist Wembanyama played a huge role in helping the team achieve regular season success; This was enough to place them in 2nd place overall in the Western Conference with a 62-20 record.
Wembanyama was also named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year; This means that for the first time he won unanimously and became the youngest actor to win the prestigious award.
The 2.80-tall French player received all 100 first-place votes, while Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren received 76 second-place votes. When the ballots were counted, Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson came in third place.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs holds his head after falling in the first half of Game Two against the Portland Trailblazers of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center on April 21, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
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Former Detroit Piston Ben Wallace came closest to winning unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in 2001-02, falling just four votes short of a panel of 120.
Wembanyama averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and a league-high 3.1 blocks this season.
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