Victor Wembanyama returned from concussion protocol on Sunday and delivered 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 blocks as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers 114-93 to take a 3-1 series lead at Moda Center.
Wembanyama described the physical and mental experience after the injury, saying, “Not too much of a scary moment. I think he was always under control. It was a very weird feeling without getting into too many details being concussed like that, very weird feeling but everything was always controlled, they’ve taken great care of me so been trying to get back on the court and use all that energy that I had.”
The league clearance process also drew attention postgame, with Wembanyama stating, “I won’t get into the details. I don’t want it to become a distraction. Ask me again after the end of the season. But again, all the doctors, especially on the Spurs, but the doctors all around, they were great, took great care of me, but the way the situation was handled was very disappointing. Not on the Spurs again.”
He added that his condition was stable despite the layoff, saying, “I’ve been feeling great. Even conditioning wise, I did some cardio two days ago, so I’m fine.”
On San Antonio’s tendency to fall behind before recovering, Wembanyama pointed to team resilience but also urgency, saying, “We need to find the answers before having our back against the wall. But that also shows the strength of our team in adversity. We stick together. We get closer to each other. Feed off of each other’s energy.”
He also emphasized the group dynamic and lack of ego within the roster, stating, “We thrive when we do the invisible efforts that benefit others. There’s no jealousy. There’s nobody cares about their stat line. So, it’s our greatest strength.”
Wembanyama highlighted the impact of teammate De’Aaron Fox in transition-heavy sequences, saying, “He makes the game fun because he runs and we get into so many like downhill situations and fast break and he facilitates a lot whether it’s by his playmaking or his scoring.”
Reflecting on playing in a hostile playoff environment, he said, “Very satisfying. It has a meaning. And about villain, I mean, I think any road team is the villain in the playoffs.”
On the tactical side of the series, Wembanyama added, “I enjoyed very much. It’s very interesting. We know so much about them and they know so much about us. The game plan is usually and including tonight pretty straightforward.”
When pressed on league-appointed clearance timing, Wembanyama declined to elaborate further, asking for clarification and stating, “I won’t answer.”
