Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was ejected from Game 4 against the Timberwolves on Sunday for elbowing Naz Reid. The incident happened early in the second quarter after Wembanyama reached over the top of Reid for a rebound.
As Reid aggressively boxed Wembanyama out, the Spurs center got tangled up with Mike Conley and Jaden McDaniels. Wembanyama then threw a clear elbow that connected squarely with Reid’s chin. After review, the referees assessed Wembanyama a Flagrant 2 foul, and he was ejected from the game.
It’s the first ejection of Wembanyama’s career. Reid did not appear to be injured.
Wemby’s ejection presents a massive opportunity for the Timberwolves, who trail in this series 2-1 and now have a chance to tie it up without the Spurs’ best player on the floor.
The Spurs are 6-2 so far in these playoffs, and one of their losses came in another game when Wembanyama left early. The French superstar exited Game 2 of the Spurs’ first-round series with a concussion, and San Antonio ended up losing by three points. Wemby sat for Game 3 of that series, but the Spurs rallied for a win.
The Wemby effect
Spurs’ stats vs. Timberwolves through three games entering Sunday
|
Defensive rating |
93.6 |
104.4 |
|
Net rating |
+20.5 |
+11.7 |
Wembanyama is averaging 21.9 points, 11.4 rebounds and five blocks per game in the playoffs. He scored 39 points on 13-of-18 shooting in the Spurs’ Game 3 win on Friday.
