Victor Wembanyama experienced a new chapter in his NBA career: being ejected from a game. It was the first time the Spurs star left a matchup early due to an aggressive act. The incident occurred with 8:39 left in the second quarter.
While fighting for a rebound, he caught Naz Reid on the chin with his right elbow. After a review, the officials ruled it a Flagrant Foul Type 2, which resulted in a turnover for the offensive foul and, more critically, an automatic ejection.
Now the Spurs face the possibility of a penalty for their player, who could miss Game 5. NBA rules state that after a Flagrant Foul Type 2, an ejected player must pay a $2,000 fine, and the league may impose additional punishment, including a suspension. The threat is real, but it seems unlikely to go beyond an in-game action.
Adding some pressure on the officials’ decision, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson gave his verdict: “They did what they did based on how the play went. Perfect. But adding more punishment to that would seem ridiculous to me.” Johnson did not justify his player’s action but afterward called for more referee protection for the 22-year-old, who endures heavy physical punishment every game: “Given the amount of physical play teams use against him, it’s normal that at some point he wants to protect himself,” Johnson said of the play.
His teammate De’Aron Fox agreed: “They were holding his left arm, and I think we’re all taught to put your chin on the ball. But those things happen. I think if the foul had been called earlier, it probably never would have happened.” Dylan Harper, experiencing his first playoffs, also shared that view: “You could feel the frustration. I don’t think it was intentional. It was more like: ‘They keep grabbing me. I’m trying to protect myself because nobody else will.'”
The French center finished with four points, his worst scoring performance in three NBA seasons, whether in regular season or playoffs. He declined to speak publicly afterward, leaving a curious statistic: his ejection at 8:39 before halftime is the fastest in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98) for an All-Star in a playoff game.
