PORTLAND, Ore. — Victor Wembanyama has been cleared to return from the NBA’s concussion protocol and will play in Sunday’s Game 4 of the San Antonio Spurs’ first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers, a team source told The Athletic.
Wembanyama suffered a concussion when he hit his face on the floor in the Spurs’ Game 2 loss Tuesday, and he missed Friday’s Game 3 while still going through the concussion protocol. The Spurs All-Star pushed to play in Game 3, league sources told The Athletic, but was not cleared by the league. The Spurs pulled off a comeback win in the second half of Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead without Wembanyama; Luke Kornet started in his place, and rookie Carter Bryant had a successful run as the backup big.
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Wembanyama participated in the Spurs’ shootaround before Game 3. During pregame warmups Friday, he was sprinting aggressively across the court and went through much of his normal warmup routine without his usual contact work.
The NBA’s concussion protocol stipulates that players cannot return to game action until at least 48 hours after the injury. They must complete a return-to-play protocol that includes not exhibiting any symptoms at rest and proceeding symptom-free through a series of activities ranging from “stationary bike, to jogging, to agility work, to non-contact team drills.” Upon completing those steps, the team’s physician must consult with the director of the NBA’s Concussion Program before making a final decision to clear the player to return.
Wembanyama missed 18 games during the regular season with a variety of injuries. Including Games 2 and 3, the Spurs are 13-7 without their star in the lineup.