Michael C. WrightApr 21, 2026, 09:13 PM ET

CloseJoined ESPN in 2010
Previously covered Bears for ESPN.com
Played college football at West Texas A&M

Multiple Authors

SAN ANTONIO — Spurs star Victor Wembanyama sustained a concussion on a hard fall during the second quarter of Tuesday night’s Game 2 playoff loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Wembanyama played just 12 minutes before being placed in the concussion protocol and ruled out for the game.

“I just know he has a concussion and he’s in the protocol,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson after the 106-103 loss, which evened the first-round series at 1. “We’ll obviously take the proper and appropriate steps.”

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Asked if Wembanyama was being evaluated for anything beyond a concussion, Johnson added: “No.”

Under the league’s concussion protocol guidelines, a player cannot return to full participation for 48 hours after the time of the injury but can resume gradual activity after 24 hours as long as symptoms don’t worsen. Then, the player must hit several benchmarks while being symptom-free before he is cleared to play. He’ll then require clearance from the team doctor in consultation with the league protocol director.

Game 3 is Friday in Portland.

Wembanyama’s spill came as he was driving to the basket with 8:57 left in the second quarter with Jrue Holiday defending. He landed chin first on the court and appeared to knock himself out, with his eyes closing briefly.

Dylan Harper, Carter Bryant and Harrison Barnes immediately rushed over to check on Wembanyama, along with Stephon Castle.

The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama sat underneath the basket for several minutes as the team called a timeout and “Wemby” chants from the crowd filled Frost Bank Center. He eventually popped up and ran through the tunnel toward the locker room, with head athletic trainer Will Sevening following.

2026 NBA postseason

ESPN has you covered from the play-in tournament through the 2026 NBA Finals.

• Bracket, schedule, news and highlights
• Round 1 takeaways: East | West
• Previewing every team still vying for the title
• ‘Hoop Collective’: Windhorst & Co. talk playoffs
• NBA Playoff Challenge: Predict the postseason!

“I was just checking on him, making sure he was OK,” Castle said. “I was subbing in. Obviously, he ran off [the floor]. So, that’s a good sign.”

Holiday was whistled for a non-shooting foul on the play, and the Spurs subbed in backup center Luke Kornet for Wembanyama.

“I got the foul call,” Holiday said. “I didn’t think I touched him, but I don’t really know. After they called the foul, I went to complain to the ref. I didn’t really see [Wembanyama’s fall].”

A little more than 15 minutes later, Sevening returned to the Spurs bench while Wembanyama remained in the locker room. The Spurs then ruled him out, saying he was in the concussion protocol.

Wembanyama had five points and four rebounds before exiting. He left the arena before the conclusion of the game, according to a team spokesperson.

“We’re hoping for the best, but I haven’t heard anything,” forward Keldon Johnson said. “Obviously, it’s a big hit that we don’t have the big fellow. But we’re a good team and we’ll continue to stay together, have each other’s back and do what got us here.”

Wembanyama, 22, became the youngest NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Monday and the first player to win the award unanimously. He averaged a career-high 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 3.1 blocks and a steal during the regular season, becoming the only player in the NBA to tally 1,500-plus points, 700-plus rebounds, 150-plus blocks and 50-plus steals.

Wembanyama produced 43 games with a block and a steal, and posted 50 multiblock games, which included 17 outings with five blocks or more.

In Game 1 of this series, a 111-98 Spurs win Sunday, he had 35 points and five rebounds.

San Antonio defeated Portland in all three regular-season meetings, and Wembanyama didn’t play in any of those games.

“We’ve played tough games without him,” Castle said. “Obviously we want everybody healthy and to have him on the court. But whatever five guys are on the court [for Game 3], we’re going to play like ourselves.”