As the San Antonio Spurs watched star big man Victor Wembanyama get handed the 2025-26 Defensive Player of the Year award, it felt like a promising postseason journey was only getting underway
Spurs fans were boisterous in Game 1, watching in their colorful shirts as they witnessed their team capture its first playoff win in seven years.
While Game 1 marked a commanding coming-out moment for the Spurs, everything changed when Wembanyama went crashing to the floor with just under nine minutes to go in the second quarter.
As he attempted to make a move against Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday, Wembanyama lost his footing when he tried gathering himself for a lay up. Replay showed Wembanyama hitting the ground face-first and his eyes slamming shut upon impact.
GettyVictor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs holds his head after falling to the court against the Portland Trailblazers in the first half of Game 2.
The look of that entire sequence was jarring to say the least. The air went out of Frost Bank Center.
The 22-year-old Spurs star stayed flat on the floor with his eyes closed for a few seconds before it appeared Wembanyama briefly lost consciousness.
After a few moments, Wembanyama sat up and exchanged some words with the Spurs’ medical staff before getting on his feet to jog back to the locker room.
After the game, Wembanyama was diagnosed with a concussion. Wembanyama’s status for Game 3 remains uncertain after head coach Mitch Johnson was non-committal when asked about the star’s availability for Friday.
San Antonio Spurs Met With Good News Ahead of Game 3
The Spurs were the surprise of the regular season after being one of only three teams this year to amass 60 wins. Keep in mind: they won just 34 games a year ago.
But close to the end of the season, San Antonio’s momentum was momentarily halted after Wembanyama’s rib injury, which he suffered against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Wembanyama wasn’t the notable name to pop up on the injury report late in the year. The team was also keeping an eye on outstanding rookie guard Dylan Harper, who suffered a thumb injury in the regular season finale.
Harper, 20, logged 10 points and two assists in 23 minutes on the court in Tuesday’s Game 2 loss.
Harper’s fellow wingman Harrison Barnes logged just four points and 15 minutes.
Following the Spurs’ Game 2 loss, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst revealed San Antonio dealt with injuries to Harper and Barnes in addition to the concern over Wembanyama’s concussion.
“Harrison Barnes injured his wrist in this game and Dylan Harper finished the game on the bench [after] aggravating a thumb injury,” Windhorst said on “SportsCenter.”
Rest assured, Spurs fans, there is some good news on tap in light of all the concern over Wembanyama.
The Spurs revealed today both Harper Jr. and Barnes will be available for a pivotal Game 4 on Friday night.
Getting a Boost Amid Major Concern
Harper Jr. and Barnes have been potent contributors to the team all season.
Barnes, a 14-year veteran, is valuable to San Antonio not just for his ability to score and play defense, he also delivers much-needed experience to an unseasoned roster. Barnes has played in the NBA Finals and has 71 playoff games under his belt.
Harper Jr., meanwhile, brings a different edge as a rookie. He is a capable scorer and unafraid defensively. It isn’t often a rookie on a top team gets major minutes in the playoffs, but Harper Jr. has logged a healthy 46 minutes over Games 1 and 2 against the Trail Blazers, which reflects the Spurs coaching staff’s trust in him.
As for Wembanyama, his status has not been confirmed for Game 3, but all signs point to him missing at least Friday’s game if not also Game 4.
The injury report for tomorrow’s game will be released this evening. We’ll know then if Wembanyama is going to play or not.
But it helps the Spurs to know they’ll otherwise have a fully healthy roster.
Spurs Receive More Crucial Injury News Ahead of Game 3 vs Trail Blazers