Missing just two games with a hyperextended knee, Victor Wembanyama was back on the court Tuesday night and lost 30, but had to miss the end of a loss to Memphis due to his limited minutes.
Spurs fans – and hoops fans everywhere – held their breath after Wembanyama hyperextended his knee, which usually results in significant time loss due to bone bruises or ligament damage, as with Nikola Jokic. But two games later, Wemby was on the field before the game, doing things that make you shake your head, even during warmups.
Wembanyama started the game on the bench, but entered the game midway through the first quarter, and from there he scored 30 points with five rebounds in just 21 minutes of play.
That minutes limit came into play in the fourth quarter, when Wembanyama was subbed off with 3:45 remaining and the Spurs led by one point. After some back and forth play and a few buckets from De’Aaron Fox (who was ice cold most of the night), the Grizzlies Cam Spencer scored the final five points of the game to give Memphis the 106-105 victory. Spencer finished the night with 21 points.
Before the game, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson basically said part of the Spurs’ job was to protect the competitive Wembanyama from himself — he wanted to come back sooner, but the team is thinking long term.
“I know his long-term health and making sure we keep this kid away from him competitively (is a priority),” Johnson said. “We want him to be healthy for years to come, not just trying to win the next games.”
Santi Aldama’s block on a Fox 15-footer sealed the victory, which ended the Grizzlies’ four-game losing streak.
