The San Antonio Spurs were without Victor Wembanyama for more than half of Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, May 10. The star center was ejected in the second quarter for a Flagrant Foul 2 after he threw an elbow in Naz Reid’s face while battling for possession of the ball after a rebound.
After the play was reviewed and the penalty was called, the Defensive Player of the Year was visibly upset. He could be seen on the bench asking, “What does it mean?” It was the first time in Wembanyama’s three-year career that he was been ejected.
The difference between the first and second tier of a flagrant foul is that the offense is considered “unnecessary AND excessive” (emphasis added). The penalty for the second tier of a flagrant foul is two free throws by the player who the offense was committed against and the player is ejected, which is what happened to Wembanyama. There is also a $2,000 fine.
Wembanyama made a statement in the series with a record 12 blocks in Game 1, all of which may or may not have been recorded correctly.
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Michael Jordan, Laney High School (NC)
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Who’s the NBA’s GOAT? 30 players who have the best claim
Michael Jordan, Laney High School (NC)
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LeBron James, St. Vincent-St. Mary High School (OH)
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Kobe Bryant, Lower Merion High School (PA)
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Stephen Curry, Charlotte Christian School (NC)
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Power Memorial Academy (NY)
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Who’s the NBA’s GOAT? 30 players who have the best claim
Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, Everett High School (MI)
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Larry Bird, Springs Valley High School (IN)
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Bill Russell, McClymonds High School (CA)
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Wilt Chamberlain, Overbrook High School (PA)
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Shaquille O’Neal, Cole High School (TX)
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Tim Duncan, St. Dunstan’s Episcopal High School (U.S. Virgin Islands)
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Who’s the NBA’s GOAT? 30 players who have the best claim
Kevin Durant, Montrose Christian School (MD)
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Who’s the NBA’s GOAT? 30 players who have the best claim
Allen Iverson, Bethel High School (VA)
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Who’s the NBA’s GOAT? 30 players who have the best claim
Oscar Robertson, Crispus Attucks High School (IN)
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Elgin Baylor, Spingarn High School (DC)
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Jerry West, East Bank High School (WV)
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Julius Erving, Roosevelt High School (NY)
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Who’s the NBA’s GOAT? 30 players who have the best claim
Moses Malone, Petersburg High School (VA)
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Kevin Garnett, Farragut Career Academy (IL)/Mauldin High School (SC)
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Charles Barkley, Leeds High School (AL)
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Karl Malone, Summerfield High School (LA)
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David Robinson, Osbourn Park High School (VA)
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Isiah Thomas, St. Joseph High School (IL)
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John Havlicek, Bridgeport High School (OH)
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Pete Maravich, Daniel High School (SC)
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Chris Paul, West Forsyth High School (NC)
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Who’s the NBA’s GOAT? 30 players who have the best claim
Meadowlark Lemon, Wiliston High School (NC)
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Who’s the NBA’s GOAT? 30 players who have the best claim
Dwyane Wade, Harold L. Richards High School (IL)
Now the question is if the Spurs will be without Wembanyama for longer.
The Timberwolves are up 2-1 in the series and, whether Minnesota or San Antonio wins on Sunday, Game 5 will be played in San Antonio on Tuesday, May 12. The series will continue from there if needed.
There is no set protocol for player suspensions after receiving a Flagrant Foul 2. The league will review the play and deliver a decision if further punishment is necessary.
League rules call for a minimum one-game suspension for a punching foul, but there is no clear outline for an offense leading with an elbow.
Previously, there have been a handful of suspensions for a player throwing an elbow in an NBA game. In 2013, J.R. Smith was given a one-game punishment in the playoffs for throwing an elbow at Jason Terry. In 2016, Hassan Whiteside was handed the same penalty for elbowing Boban Marjanović.
In 2005, Kobe Bryant was given a two-game suspension for hitting Mike Miller in the throat with his elbow. According to ESPN, the longer penalty could have been a result of the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s postgame comments during which he denied any wrongdoing.
“Somebody comes down the lane, you’ve got to hit him,” Bryant said upon receiving the suspension. “You can’t let them come down the lane and just finger roll and get easy baskets. Nothing to hurt anybody like that. That’s just basic NBA basketball.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Victor Wembanyama be suspended after Flagrant 2 foul?
