Will Victor Wembanyama Be Suspended After Flagrant Foul 2?

The San Antonio Spurs were without Victor Wembanyama for more than half of Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, May 10. The star center was ejected in the second quarter for a Flagrant Foul 2 after he threw an elbow in Naz Reid's face while battling for possession of the ball after a rebound.

After the play was reviewed and the penalty was called, the Defensive Player of the Year was visibly upset. He could be seen on the bench asking, "What does it mean?" It was the first time in Wembanyama's three-year career that he was been ejected.

The difference between the first and second tier of a flagrant foul is that the offense is considered "unnecessary AND excessive" (emphasis added). The penalty for the second tier of a flagrant foul is two free throws by the player who the offense was committed against and the player is ejected, which is what happened to Wembanyama. The infraction also triggers a fine of $2,000, at a minimum.

Wembanyama made a statement in the series with a record 12 blocks in Game 1, all of which may or may not have been recorded correctly.

Now the question is if the Spurs will be without Wembanyama for longer.

The Timberwolves are up 2-1 in the series and, whether Minnesota or San Antonio wins on Sunday, Game 5 will be played in San Antonio on Tuesday, May 12. The series will continue from there if needed.

There is no set protocol for player suspensions after receiving a Flagrant Foul 2. The league will review the play and deliver a decision if further punishment is necessary.

League rules call for a minimum one-game suspension for a punching foul, but there is no clear outline for an offense leading with an elbow.

Previously, there have been a handful of suspensions for a player throwing an elbow in an NBA game. In 2013, J.R. Smith was given a one-game punishment in the playoffs for throwing an elbow at Jason Terry. In 2016, Hassan Whiteside was handed the same penalty for elbowing Boban Marjanović.

In 2005, Kobe Bryant was given a two-game suspension for hitting Mike Miller in the throat with his elbow. According to ESPN, the longer penalty could have been a result of the Los Angeles Lakers legend's postgame comments during which he denied any wrongdoing.

"Somebody comes down the lane, you've got to hit him," Bryant said upon receiving the suspension. "You can't let them come down the lane and just finger roll and get easy baskets. Nothing to hurt anybody like that. That's just basic NBA basketball."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Victor Wembanyama be suspended after Flagrant 2 foul?