The San Antonio Spurs had a golden opportunity slipping through their fingers Sunday night. A win on the road at the Target Center would have given them a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Instead, they left Minneapolis with a five-point loss and a tied 2-2 series—and the biggest reason was the absence of their superstar.

Victor Wembanyama was ejected with 8:39 left in the second quarter, marking the first ejection of his young career. According to ESPN Research, it was the earliest an All-Star has been tossed from a playoff game since tracking began in 1997. The play happened after Wembanyama grabbed an offensive rebound and was immediately swarmed by Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels. While trying to clear space, he swung his elbow and caught Reid in the jaw. Officials reviewed the play and ruled it a Flagrant 2 for excessive contact to the head, leading to an automatic ejection.

Wembanyama looked confused at first, asking teammate Harrison Barnes for clarification before leaving the game with just four points and four rebounds. It was a frustrating end to what could have been a defining playoff performance.

Without their star, the Spurs actually built an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter, showing impressive resilience. But they couldn't hold on. Minnesota outscored San Antonio 28-15 over the final nine minutes, with Anthony Edwards leading the comeback to even the series.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst had no sympathy for the young phenom. Speaking on SportsCenter Monday, the veteran reporter didn't hold back. "This was a Grade A example of a flagrant foul; it had all the markers: unnecessary, excessive, wind up and hit above the shoulders," Windhorst said. "This was absolutely completely unacceptable, and it significantly hurt his team to get ejected in the second quarter." He added, "I do think there's a chance he'll get a fine. This was a very immature act by a player who took himself out of the game."

For a player of Wembanyama's caliber, learning to channel that competitive fire is part of the journey. But in the playoffs, every possession matters—and one mistake can shift the momentum of an entire series.