Wembanyama Escapes Fine, Suspension After Game 4 Ejection

The Spurs lost Game 4 of the conference semifinals to the Timberwolves on Sunday night after Victor Wembanyama was tossed for elbowing Naz Reid during the first half. The superstar center will not face an additional penalty, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

Wembanyama will not be suspended or fined by the league in the aftermath of the ejection. Wembanyama will be eligible to play against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night in San Antonio.

Minnesota outscored San Antonio 34-25 in the fourth quarter of a 114-109 victory that knotted the series at 2-apiece. The Timberwolves will have to deal with Wembanyama’s towering presence in the pivotal Game 5. The Spurs center was coming off a huge 39-point, 15-rebound, 5-block performance in Game 3 when San Antonio grabbed a 2-1 lead in the series.

Wembanyama was initially called for an offensive foul during the second quarter incident in Game 4 but it was upgraded to a flagrant 2, which comes with an automatic ejection, upon review. The NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year only had four points and four rebounds in 12 minutes prior to the ejection.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson commented afterward that a possible suspension for Wembanyama “would be ridiculous.” That is no longer a concern.

However, players who get ejected from a game are typically fined by the league when it reviews the penalty, so there could be some criticism toward the NBA office for giving Wembanyama preferential treatment.