Victor Wembanyama Ruled Out, Does Not Play In Second Half Vs. 76ers With Rib Contusion

Victor Wembanyama left the court in the first half, returned and got over the 15-minute threshold, then did not play in the second half with what the Spurs called a rib contusion suffered against the Philadelphia 76ers.

After the game, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said he had no information or update on Wembanyama's status going forward. The injury occurred with 10:47 left in the second quarter when Paul George went to steal a pass meant for Wembanyama as he ran in transition. Wembanyama sat on the court for a minute, then checked himself out of the game and went to the locker room. He returned to play a few more minutes in the first half but did not come out for the second half, with the team announcing he would not return.

Because Wemby played more than 15 minutes, this game counts as his second "near miss" game, so it counts toward his 65-game total needed to qualify for postseason awards (Wembanyama is considered a heavy favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year and is pushing the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for MVP). Wembanyama needs to play 20+ minutes in one of the Spurs' remaining three games to reach the league-mandated 65-game threshold. While Wemby is officially listed as having played in just 63 games, he played in the NBA Cup championship game, and that counts toward the total even though it does not show up in his official stats.

Wembanyama's early exit ended a fun head-to-head matchup with Philadelphia's Joel Embiid. Wemby finished with 17 points in his limited minutes, while Embiid went on to have 34 points and 12 rebounds. The Spurs still got the win behind a triple-double from Stephon Castle.