MINNEAPOLIS — Making his way around the bench, one high-five at a time, Victor Wembanyama couldn’t do anything but clap his way out the door. He knew he blew it. He was trapped, tried to swing his way out of it, and paid the fair price.
When the slo-mo replay showed the San Antonio Spurs star looking right at Naz Reid before hurtling an elbow into the Minnesota Timberwolves big man’s throat, everyone in the building knew what was coming next. He was gone. That was a Flagrant 2, clear as day.
This was such uncharted territory for him that Wembanyama didn’t even know what “Flagrant 2” meant. Losing his composure is not his style. Just last week, he professed that he refuses the burden of hiding his emotions, but prides himself on controlling them. He does so much work throughout the day, and the year, to own his mind, answering to internal forces rather than external stimuli.
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But he’s never dealt with this type of disruption to his harmony. The Wolves, who beat the Spurs 114-109 in Sunday night’s Game 4, don’t just claw at you; they bite. It’s not only when Rudy Gobert holds his wrist down while he blocks his shot, or when Anthony Edwards then tugs on his jersey to keep him from running in transition. It’s all the bumps to the ground that scrape away his skin, or the hits to the head that knock him off his feet. They often just shove him when he’s jumping or landing under the rim, and that was eating away at him and his entire team.
“Every single play on every single part of the floor, people are trying to impose the physicality on you. I get it. We get it. That’s part of the game,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “But at some stage, he’s got chucked, he’s gotten pushed down in transition, running freely, all the stuff. He doesn’t complain one time. We don’t complain because we’re just going to play. We don’t really give a s—, excuse my language. But at some stage, he should be protected. And if not, he’s going to have to protect himself and, unfortunately, stuff like that happens.”
This play just pushed Wembanyama ever so slightly over the edge. When he first tried to seal Reid in transition, Reid pushed Wembanyama back under the hoop, a typical part of a rough playoff game. When Wembanyama then grabbed the ensuing rebound right over Reid, Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels came in and tugged down on Wembanyama’s jersey from behind, then held onto his off arm.
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That was the moment when Wembanyama looked to his right, saw Reid clearly in the corner of his eye, and swung. He probably was just trying to clear space with an extra bit of hostility, sending a message that they could try to hold him back, but they can’t keep him down. But all that kung-fu training worked too well. Once the replays started looping through the arena, it was only a matter of time before he was headed for the showers.
He knew it. Everyone knew it. He got what he deserved, accidental or not.
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“You could see the frustration (from him),” Dylan Harper said. “I could see where he’s coming from. I don’t think it was intentional, but it was more like, they keep grabbing me, I’m trying to protect myself, cause no one else (is) going to protect me.”
A few minutes later, referee Zach Zarba announced the inevitable, “After review, there was wind-up, impact and follow-through above the neck of an opponent.” Eventually, he announced the Flagrant 2.
Wembanyama asked teammate Harrison Barnes what that means. After a brief explanation, Wembanyama responded, “I’m ejected?” followed by a matter-of-fact nod.
He didn’t appear mad, just resigned. He walked off the court solely focused on revving up his team, which he did more of at halftime, teammate Stephon Castle said.
There was a sense that everyone just got it. But nobody went to bat for him like his coach. Johnson’s ire was aimed right at the officials for how they have been managing this 2-2 series.
“I’m glad he took matters into his own hands,” Johnson said. “Not in terms of hitting Naz Reid, by all means being very clear about that. I’m glad Naz Reid is OK, and I didn’t want him to elbow him, but he’s going to have to protect himself if they’re not. And I think it’s disgusting.”
Johnson maintained his stance regarding the physicality Wembanyama deals with every night. There was inevitably going to be a moment when it got to him. His job was to make sure it didn’t cost him.
“I don’t know what else to tell him. We’ve tried to give him fundamental direction on how to deal with it,” Johnson said. “And at times, it seems like that’s not enough.”
It’s understandable. It’s hard not to react when you are getting hounded all night long. But Wembanyama is a rising star in the NBA, and this is the time of year when the outcome matters more than intent.
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Johnson has always been good at holding Wembanyama accountable in the public domain. Even when lauding his star for dominating games, he will always toss in some caveats to keep challenging the 22-year-old phenom. As this incident showed, Wembanyama still has growing to do. He may be one of the best players in the league, but he is still far from reaching his potential.
On his way out, Wembanyama high-fived every person on the bench: players, coaches, security, equipment managers, anyone with a Spurs shirt and a pulse.
Whatever he said, it worked. Luke Kornet, who was the Wolves’ biggest target all series, gave his best Wembanyama impression by taking over in the third quarter on defense. The point guard triumvirate of Harper, Castle and De’Aaron Fox started cooking, and the Spurs grabbed a lead.
Eventually, Edwards stepped up, the Wolves’ bigs started cutting behind the defense to win the second-chance points, and it all unraveled. The Spurs came close to pulling off the win of the season, but now they head back home even in the series. It’s hard to place blame on Wembanyama for the loss, considering the Spurs led by just a bucket when he was kicked out. This game could have gone either way, regardless of who was out there.
Still, the tensions of this series finally boiled over, even if they just barely simmered over the edge. Wembanyama will have to hold himself accountable, presuming he is not suspended for Game 5 (there is little precedent for that).
Castle and Harper were great on both ends, and this loss was narrow. The future in San Antonio is brighter than the Texas sun in the middle of the summer. But they want it to be now. They are ready to win a championship — not down the road, but in a month.
Every game they play from here will be even rougher and tougher. Can Wembanyama meet that challenge?