San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama averaged a career-high 24.8 points per game through his first 63 appearances this season. Photo by John G. Mabanglo/EPA
NBA MVP contender Victor Wembanyama sustained a left rib contusion and exited early during a San Antonio Spurs win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Wembanyama sustained the injury early in the second quarter of the 115-102 triumph Monday in San Antonio. He returned later in the quarter, but did not play in the second half.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said he wasn’t “sure” when asked about the extent of Wembanyama’s injury.He also said it was a “positive” that Wembanyama felt like he could return.
“At halftime, I was told he wasn’t coming back,” Johnson said. “I haven’t heard anything else up to this point. I think it would be a positive that he felt like he could come back, and he played the last four or five minutes of the half.
“So, that’s a positive from my perspective.”
The injury occurred when Wembanyama collided with 76ers forward Paul George about 1:13 into the second quarter. Wembanyama left the court after the play, but returned to the bench about five minutes later. He went to the locker room again with about 44.3 seconds remaining in the half.
Wembanyama recorded 17 points, five rebounds and three blocks over the first two quarters. Stephon Castle logged a 19-point, 13-assist, 10-rebound triple-double in the triumph. Fellow Spurs guard Dylan Harper scored 17 points off the bench.
The Spurs outshot the 76ers 49.4% to 38.2%. They also held advantages of 58-38 in points in the paint 22-11 in points off fast breaks and 50-18 in points off the bench. The game featured 15 lead changes.
Wembanyama averaged a career-high 24.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and league-high 3.1 blocks per game through his first 63 appearances this season. He needs to play at least 20 or more minutes in one more game this season to be eligible for end-of-season NBA awards.
The Spurs (60-19) won 12 of their last 13 games and sit in second place in the Western Conference, 2.5 games behind the NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder (62-16).
The Spurs will host the ninth-place Portland Trail Blazers (40-39) at 9:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday in San Antonio. They will take on the 11th-place Dallas Mavericks (25-53) on Friday in San Antonio.
Their final regular-season game will be Sunday against the third-place Denver Nuggets (51-28).
