Wembanyama explodes in Minnesota: expulsion, controversial elbow, and the Spurs explode against the referees

The series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves exploded in the fourth game. Victor Wembanyama suffered the first ejection of his entire NBA career after elbowing Naz Reid in the second quarter, an action that sparked controversy and led to a harsh reaction from Spurs coach Mitch Johnson against the officiating.

San Antonio's coach did not directly justify the Frenchman's blow, but he did defend the context which, according to him, ended up triggering the action.

"The amount of physical contact he receives is exaggerated. At some point, you have to protect yourself," Johnson stated after the 114-109 defeat that tied the series 2-2. "On every play, in every part of the court, they try to impose their physicality on him. They push him even when he's running on the fast break. We haven't complained because we keep playing, but there comes a point where someone has to protect him."

Johnson went even further in his speech and strongly criticized the officiating treatment towards the French star. "It's starting to be disgusting," he said. "He tries to be professional, mature, endure all of that... and I'm glad he took matters into his own hands. I'm not talking about hitting Naz Reid, but if they don't protect him, he'll have to protect himself."

The incident occurred with 8:39 left in the second quarter. Wembanyama had just grabbed an offensive rebound after a missed three-pointer from the Spurs when Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels surrounded him with a very physical defense far from the paint. In the midst of the struggle, the French center threw an elbow with his right arm that hit Reid's jaw and neck directly, sending the Minnesota player straight to the floor.

The referees initially called an offensive foul, but after reviewing the play on the monitor, referee Zach Zarba announced a flagrant type 2 foul for excessive contact above the neck, a sanction that implies an automatic ejection.

De'Aaron Fox also partially defended his teammate after the game. "They were grabbing his left arm. We're all taught to protect the ball with our bodies," explained the guard. "If they had called the foul earlier, probably none of this would have happened."

Cameras even captured Wembanyama looking surprised asking Harrison Barnes from the bench, "What does that mean?", just before leaving the court while Michael Jackson's "Beat It" played over the arena speakers.

Naz Reid then made both free throws and Minnesota took the lead on the scoreboard. The ejection had an immediate historical impact. According to ESPN data, Wembanyama became the earliest ejected All-Star in a playoff game since detailed play-by-play records exist, in the 1997-98 season.

Furthermore, the Spurs were left practically without their defensive and offensive reference. The Frenchman ended with just four points, four rebounds, and three fouls in only 13 minutes, the lowest scoring output of his entire NBA career, including regular season and playoffs.

Nevertheless, Wembanyama remained involved from the locker room. Stephon Castle revealed that the Frenchman spoke to the team at halftime to try to maintain confidence within the group despite the disadvantage. "He tried to convey positive energy and confidence even though he couldn't play anymore," explained the young shooting guard.

Harper, in defense of Wemby

Dylan Harper also came to his teammate's defense and denied any violent intent. "You could see his frustration," he commented. "I don't think it was intentional. It was more like, 'They're constantly grabbing me and no one is protecting me, so I have to protect myself'."

Now it remains to be seen if the NBA decides to impose an additional sanction. A flagrant type 2 automatically carries a minimum fine of $2,000, and the action will be reviewed by the league's office to determine if further punishment is warranted.

However, Johnson made his position clear. "They made the decision based on how the play ended. Fine," he pointed out. "But adding anything more would be ridiculous."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Wembanyama explota en Minnesota: expulsión, polémico codazo y los Spurs estallan contra los árbitros