San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama avoided extra punishment from the NBA following his ejection in Game 4 of San Antonio’s Western Conference Finals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves for elbowing Naz Reid, keeping him eligible for Game 5.
In Game 5, the Frenchman put on a show, going off for 27 points and snagging 17 rebounds in a dominant effort to lead his team to a 3-2 series lead.
“There was a lot that happened in the last 48 hours,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said, according to ESPN. “I think how that young man came out tonight and played in a variety of ways in a variety of situations, not just in terms of his production, was extremely mature.”
For his part, Wembanyama is laser-focused on advancing past Minnesota and blocking out the discourse surrounding his elbow.
“It was two days ago,” Wembanyama said of the ejection. “I was focused on the game today. And now, I’m focusing on the game in Minnesota in three days. It’s the playoffs. We’ve got to move on, and I’ve got to care about my team.”
Spurs guard Stephon Castle wasn’t even surprised by his teammate.
“I feel like we got the Vic you’ve seen all year,” Castle said. “I think his maturity level was off the charts. He played smart, didn’t really foul much, took the shots that were there for him. When he’s playing like that, playing aggressively, with everything he brings for us defensively, I feel like we’re hard to beat. Just where his mindset has been for the last 48 hours, I know he wanted to finish Game 4. But not letting that get to him and coming out and playing like that was a big reason why we won.”
The Spurs will look to close out the series on Friday.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.