San Antonio Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama was ejected from Sunday night’s playoff contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second quarter after he delivered an elbow to the face of Timberwolves big man Naz Reid.
The incident occurred when Wembanyama grabbed a rebound and attempted to shield the ball from two Minnesota defenders in Game 4 of the Western Conference second-round series. As he pivoted, he swung a forceful right elbow that connected with Reid’s chin, drawing a foul call with 8:39 remaining in the first half.
The officiating crew reviewed multiple angles of the play before upgrading the call to a flagrant 2 foul, which results in an automatic ejection.
“After review, there was windup, impact and follow-through above the neck of an opponent,” lead official Zach Zarba stated. “It was unnecessary and excessive contact by Wembanyama and it meets all the criteria and it has been upgraded to a flagrant foul penalty 2. Wembanyama has been ejected.”
At the time of the ejection, the Spurs trailed 36-34. Reid then sank both free throws, extending Minnesota’s lead to four points. Wembanyama finished with four points, four rebounds, and no blocks in just over 12 minutes of action.
Wembanyama delivered a historic performance in Game 3 on Friday, tallying 39 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocked shots in a 115-108 road win. He became just the fourth player in NBA history to record at least 35 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks in a playoff game.
The Spurs currently hold a 2-1 series lead.
