Well, so much for Victor Wembanyama being hurt, right? At least that’s what the Dallas Mavericks were thinking all night.
After missing the previous game with a rib contusion, Wembanyama returned to the lineup in a massive way. Maybe not so massive, because he didn’t do anything new.
All week, there was concern over Wembanyama’s health and whether he would obtain postseason awards eligibility. So the 22-year-old Spurs star came out of nowhere and delivered the kind of performance typical of a maxed-out MyCareer player in NBA2K.
GettyVictor Wembanyama received clean MRI results and avoided serious injury.
On Monday, Wembanyama had a health scare when a collision with Philadelphia’s Paul George sent the Spurs star tumbling to the ground in pain.
Wembanyama exited to the locker room to get evaluated, returned, then went back to the locker room. He was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the game, and fear struck the San Antonio faithful.
After the game, head coach Mitch Johnson expressed confidence that Wembanyama’s injury wasn’t major but enough to put Wembanyama through further testing.
Victor Wembanyama Came Back Like Nothing Happened
Further tests revealed Wembanyama fortunately dodged anything serious. The evaluation showed some bruising on his ribs but nothing worrying moving forward.
When Wembanyama was ruled out of Wednesday’s game, many immediately wondered if this late-season injury would keep the Spurs big man from obtaining postseason awards eligibility. There was certainly some doubt as Wembanyama was initially listed as questionable ahead of Friday’s game.
He was later upgraded to a game-time decision before San Antonio elected to play him. It appears the team didn’t at all make the wrong decision.
In the victory over the lottery-desired Mavericks, Wembanyama ripped off 40 points in less than 27 minutes of action. You guessed it — he made history again.
According to San Antonio Express-News, Wembanyama became just the 10th player since 1967 to score 30 points in 20 or fewer minutes. Interestingly, Cam Thomas, who was recently released by the Milwaukee Bucks, also did it this season.
Wembymania is thriving once again.
A Pressure-Packed Postseason Awaits
It has been a season of triumph for the silver and black. Thirty-four wins a season ago, 62 so far this year.
That means two things: the Spurs are awesome, and a boatload of playoff expectations.
San Antonio has already captured some rare company, but the challenges will only increase in difficulty. The Spurs are trying to go from 34 wins to, forget winning the title, but making the NBA Finals.
They are also trying to seize the mountaintop led by a 22-year-old.
Yet they are expected to go out and win a title. They certainly welcome that burden, but if the season’s outcome is less than flattering, many won’t hesitate to consider the entire year a bummer.
Keeping Wembanyama healthy and making a deep postseason run, even if that means a trip to the conference finals, should be considered a major success. There is minimal historical precedent of a team as young and inexperienced as the Spurs winning a title.
It is possible, but shouldn’t be the end-all-be-all expectation. Not yet.
San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama Makes More History in Win Over Mavs