Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs takes a hard fall against the Portland Trailblazers in the second half of Game One of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center on April 19, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
Ronald Cortes/Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs are about to face their biggest test of the playoffs. The team is traveling to Portland for Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round series against the Trail Blazers on Friday, April 24. Most likely, they’ll have to do it without their superstar.
Fresh off becoming the first unanimous defensive player of the year in NBA history, Victor Wembanyama was ruled out with a concussion during Game 2 on Tuesday, April 21, leaving his return in question. At a minimum, Wemby has to sit out 48 hours from the time of injury before starting return-to-participation procedures, per the NBA concussion protocol, but NBA experts seem to agree he won’t play in Game 3.
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Stephen A. Smith’s take on Wemby
“I don’t think Wemby will be back Friday. I think it’ll raise too many suspicions,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said on First Take. “I think they [Portland] win Friday night, they go up 2-1, it forces Wemby to come back for Sunday’s game because San Antonio’s season will be on the line and as a result San Antonio goes back and ties the series 2-2 after the weekend. That is what I foreshadow.”
Michael Wilbon thinks Wemby will return Game 5
ESPN host Michael Wilbon chimed in, adding that an NBA player who suffers a concussion is typically out for 9 days. That would take Wemby out for Games 3 and 4 in Portland. Plus, given his condition, it’s not clear if the Spurs will even allow him to fly to Portland if he’s still symptomatic.
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“This is not like the other opponent’s in Houston and they can drive in the state of Texas and get to the game like he’s in AAU competition,” Wilbon said. “He’s gonna have to fly to Portland and we don’t know if that’s going to be allowed.”
Shams Charania weighs in on Wemby
ESPN insider Shams Charania added more details on Wednesday night, April 22, revealing that Wembanyama participated in cardio workouts that night, as his symptoms didn’t worsen.
“He wasn’t feeling worse than he did when he suffered that concussion,” Charania said. “As of right now, my understanding is he is hopeful that he’ll be able to travel with the team to Portland on Thursday, but whether he’s able to clear concussion protocol in time to play Game 3 on Friday in Portland is an obvious question in jeopardy for the Spurs.”
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Reporting for Inside the NBA — Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama conducts cardio work Wednesday as he works through concussion protocol: pic.twitter.com/v5akihX2j9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 23, 2026
Brian Windhorst’s take on Wemby
Fellow NBA expert Brian Windhorst called these two games in Portland a “gut check moment” for the Spurs if Wembanyama is unable to play.
Then comes the question. If Wembanyama isn’t able to play in Portland, and the Spurs lose both games 3 and 4. Can the Spurs come back from down 3-1?
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Chris “Mad Dog” Russo says it’s a long road for Spurs
“I do think you’ll see Wembanyama, the key to me would be game 4,” Chris “Mad Dog” Russo said on First Take. “I’d be shocked if he plays Friday night. Game 4 is the key. Portland’s gonna be good at home Friday night. They’re probably going to lose that game. Portland’s gonna be good at home. So that means if he doesn’t play Sunday, you’re 2-1 down, you might be playing for your life on Sunday afternoon because even Wembanyama coming back down 3-1, you’re gonna win three in a row, one of those on the road? That’s not that easy.”
Wilbon went as far as to say he doesn’t think San Antonio can win the championship this year, but predicts multiple championships for the Spurs and multiple MVPs for Wembanyama in the future. He credited it to the likes of Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant, who all suffered playoff heartbreaks before championship success. However, he also flagged Spurs legend Tim Duncan as an exception, someone who immediately found championship glory. Could the Spurs do the same?
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When do the Spurs play Portland?
Game 3 is set to tip off at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, April 24, followed by Game 4 at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 26, and Game 5 back in San Antonio at 8:30 p.m. on April 28.