Victor Wembanyama has dodged a postseason suspension, clearing the way for the San Antonio Spurs star to suit up in Tuesday's crucial playoff matchup. The NBA reviewed the incident and opted not to levy any further punishment, a league source confirmed.
The 22-year-old French phenom was ejected during Sunday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves after catching Naz Reid with an elbow to the face. The play, which was initially called a flagrant two foul, sparked immediate concern about his availability for the remainder of the series.
Wembanyama's night ended abruptly with 8:39 left in the second quarter. After grabbing an offensive rebound, he collided with Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels and swung his elbow backward, striking Reid hard on the jaw. Officials reviewed the play and determined the contact was unnecessary and excessive—the textbook definition of a flagrant two, which carries an automatic ejection.
It was the first ejection of Wembanyama's career. In fact, he had to ask teammate Harrison Barnes what the flagrant two designation actually meant when officials announced it. As he left the court, the young star made a point to high-five every teammate on the bench.
Without their star center, the second-seeded Spurs still managed to build an eight-point lead early in the fourth quarter. But the Timberwolves stormed back to win, tying the best-of-seven series at 2-2 and shifting momentum heading into Tuesday's pivotal Game 5.
Wembanyama had been red-hot entering Sunday, dropping 39 points in a Game 3 victory just two nights earlier. Before his ejection, he had managed just four points and four rebounds in limited action.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson defended his young star, arguing the elbow wasn't intentional but rather a reaction to the constant physical pressure Wembanyama faces. "The amount of physicality that people play with him, at some level you have to protect yourself," Johnson said. "Every single play on every single part of the floor, people are trying to impose their physicality on him."
With Wembanyama back in the lineup, the Spurs will look to regain control of the series on their home court Tuesday night.