Spurs’ Wembanyama unavailable for Game 3 against Portland while recovering from concussion

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The San Antonio Spurs said Victor Wembanyama is not available for Friday night’s Game 3 against Portland in the teams’ first-round playoff series while he continues to recover from a concussion.

Wembanyama — the league’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year and one of three finalists for the Most Valuable Player award — went down in the second quarter of Game 2 on Tuesday night and did not return.

Portland went on to win the game 106-103 in San Antonio. The series is tied heading into the third game.

“Victor is not playing tonight. Obviously there’s a lot that goes into that, but he’s doing well and progressing,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.

Wembanyama had traveled to Portland with the Spurs on Thursday afternoon while continuing to complete the steps mandated by the league’s concussion protocol. Earlier, he was listed as questionable for Friday’s game.

Johnson said he was going to keep details of Wembanyama’s condition “in-house,” except to say he’s continuing to progress.

Wembanyama was putting up shots at the team’s shootaround Friday morning at the Moda Center.

Johnson said Luke Kornet would get the start against the Trail Blazers in Wembanyama’s absence. Kornet has played in 68 games this season with 25 starts, averaging 6.5 points and 6.1 rebounds.

Players must clear a series of benchmarks before being cleared for play under the concussion protocol. The results are compared to baseline neurological evaluations players take at the start of the season.

Any extended absence by Wembanyama could be a massive blow to San Antonio, which finished with the league’s second-best record behind the versatile 7-foot-4 center from France. They were 12-6 in the regular season without Wembanyama.

Wembanyama averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a league-best 3.1 blocks per game this season. He was also with his teammates on Wednesday evening, when they all donned cowboy hats and surprised teammate Keldon Johnson after he was announced as the league’s Sixth Man of the Year.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA