Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama to travel while in concussion protocol

San Antonio — Victor Wembanyama will travel with Spurs In Oregon for this weekend’s games against trail BlazersEven while continuing to complete the steps mandated by the NBA’s concussion protocol.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson declined to say Thursday whether Wembanyama will play in Game 3 against the Trail Blazers at Moda Center on Friday, instead saying the star center is “progressing” and the team has not ruled him out.

“He looks good,” Johnson said. “The update is that he is following every protocol, he is making progress, and he will be traveling with the team.”

The series is tied at 1-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Portland.

“To my knowledge, we haven’t even had that discussion [about ruling Wembanyama out]”Protocol is protocol,” Johnson said. The league is one that is mostly at the top. We’ll just hope he continues to progress. Whenever that time is, it will happen.

“We’ll continue to follow the protocols, and hopefully he’ll continue to progress. It’s pretty straightforward. So obviously we’re hopeful he’ll be back at some point. But we’ll allow him to follow the protocols. There’s nothing more important than his health.”

Under the NBA’s concussion protocol guidelines, a player cannot return to full participation until 48 hours after an injury, but can gradually resume activity after 24 hours unless symptoms worsen. The player must then achieve several benchmarks while remaining symptom-free before being cleared to play. They will then require clearance from the team doctor in consultation with the league protocol director.

Vembanyama’s results will also be compared to his baseline neurological evaluation – which players undergo before each season – before doctors clear him to move forward in a return-to-play plan.

Sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania that Wembanyama participated in some cardiovascular activities late Wednesday night as the Frenchman’s symptoms had not worsened.

He suffered a blow On a drive to the basket with 8:57 remaining in the second quarter of Game 2. junior holiday defending. Vembanyama came on the court first and looked to be out.

dylan harper, carter bryant And Harrison Barnes Rushed there immediately to investigate Vembanyama stephen castle.

Wembanyama sat under the basket for several minutes as the Spurs called timeout. The 7-foot-4-inch player eventually got up and ran through the tunnel to the locker room, followed by head athletic trainer Will Sevenings.

Vembanyama scored five points with four rebounds before fouling out of Game 2. According to a team spokesperson, he left the Frost Bank Center before the conclusion of the game.

Third-year veteran, 22-year-old turned Youngest player to win Defensive Player of the Year award on Monday and the first to win it unanimously. Wembanyama averaged a career-high 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 3.1 blocks and one steal per game during the regular season.

Vembanyama also produced 43 games with a block and a steal and had 50 multiblock games, including 17 outings with five or more blocks.

He scored 35 points and grabbed five rebounds in Sunday’s decisive Game 1 win.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.