Victor Wembanyama ejected for the first time in his NBA career after elbow on Naz Reid
Victor Wembanyama, in his third NBA season with the San Antonio Spurs, was ejected for the first time in his playoff career on Sunday night. According to ESPN's player-conduct logs, the 22-year-old French centre was disqualified under Flagrant Foul Type 2 after striking Minnesota Timberwolves forward Naz Reid with an elbow during a defensive contact in the third quarter. When the call was shown on the arena's video boards, the crowd response was a mixed reaction of applause and jeers, as reported by ESPN from the building.
A closer examination of the clip shows Wembanyama raising his elbow on the recoil of his movement. The on-court officials initially called it a regular foul, but a review at the NBA Replay Center in Secaucus, New Jersey determined that the elbow had struck Reid's chin directly and gratuitously. The Replay Center classified the play as "an unnatural arm extension during defensive contact" and ruled that the elbow movement must be treated as intentional. Wembanyama's minutes for the night were cut from a projected 28 to 19.
Game statistics show the Spurs were leading 78-69 at the moment of the ejection. Wembanyama had to that point recorded 18 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks, a near double-double. After his departure, the Timberwolves, led by Anthony Edwards, mounted a 17-0 run. Edwards finished with 35 points and 7 assists, and Minnesota closed out the game 116-104, levelling the series at 2-2.
Wembanyama, in a brief locker-room statement to ESPN after the game, said the action had not been intentional: "I was focused on the ball; my arm came up as I lost my balance. I'm sorry that I caught Naz in the face. I'm not that kind of player." The 22-year-old is widely regarded as one of the most disciplined cornerstone players in the NBA since his 2024 debut; he is among the few elite centres with no recorded ejections per season.
Naz Reid received treatment for a cut on his chin during the game but returned to the floor. He finished with 9 points and 5 rebounds. Reid's response was more measured: "I don't think Wemby was malicious. These things happen. I hope he plays in the next game." Reid has emerged as one of this season's most consistent sixth men alongside the Edwards-Towns pairing.
The NBA's disciplinary panel reviewed the footage after the game. League senior office Joe Dumars announced that Wembanyama would not receive an additional game suspension, but would be fined $25,000. The decision marks the first significant disciplinary action of the player's career. Across the past three seasons, the NBA has allowed a player to remain available for the next game in only 11 such ejection-after-review cases.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson took a careful tone in his post-game press conference: "Victor lost his balance on that play, that's what I saw. The decision is the official's, but it was a tough loss for us. We'll be ready for Game 5." Johnson, a young coach in his first season after succeeding Gregg Popovich, has faced criticism over the rotation he used without Wembanyama, which the Spurs lost by 19 points.
Game 5 will be played in San Antonio on Wednesday. The Spurs have a strong home playoff record of 12-3; Wembanyama is averaging 26.4 points, 14.7 rebounds and 4.1 blocks across his last three home games. Minnesota, with the momentum of an even series, will draw confidence from Edwards's recent form. Edwards is averaging 32.7 points across the last three games and has moved ahead in the Western Conference playoff MVP conversation.
The background to the series matters. San Antonio and Minnesota are meeting in the Western Conference Semifinals; both teams finished the regular season ranked 1st and 3rd respectively. The winner will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who hold a 3-0 lead over the Los Angeles Lakers and will likely complete the sweep on Saturday. For the Spurs, this represents the first real opening to the NBA Finals since 2014.
Wembanyama's ejection comes amid the NBA's increased focus on "on-court player safety" this season. The league tightened rules on elbow and head-area contact at the start of the campaign. The fact that the player who symbolises the league's future is the first major name to fall under that rule lends the decision particular significance. Wednesday's Game 5 will be a test, both for the series and for Wembanyama's reputation as a disciplined cornerstone.