Victor Wembanyama’s ejection during Game 4 ended his shift long before the San Antonio Spurs wanted it to, and the NBA world reacted immediately.
Wembanyama was ejected in the second quarter of Spurs-Timberwolves after officials assessed him a Flagrant 2 foul for swinging an elbow that hit Minnesota Timberwolves forward Naz Reid. The play came with 8:39 remaining in the first half, with Minnesota leading 36-34. Wembanyama left with four points, four rebounds and one assist.
The ruling instantly turned into one of the biggest moments of the series. San Antonio entered Game 4 with a 2-1 lead, and Wembanyama had just delivered a massive Game 3 performance with 39 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks.
Victor Wembanyama Was Ejected For Throwing an Elbow at Naz Reid During Game 4 of Spurs-Timberwolves
Anthony Slater of The Athletic wrote on X that it was a “Flagrant 2 on Victor Wembanyama for a swinging elbow to Naz Reid’s chin,” adding that Wembanyama was ejected early in the second quarter and that the play had the “potential to swing the series.”
The reaction split quickly between disbelief, frustration and debate over whether the contact met the standard for an ejection.
Sam Amick of The Athletic posted, “Man, that sure looks like a Flagrant 2…” Kevin O’Connor reacted, “Wowwww they actually called a flagrant 2 on Wemby.”
McDonald added a bigger-picture note shortly after the ejection: “The league will review the Wembanyama play tomorrow. The question now is whether he will be available for Game 5.”
That is now the key issue for the Spurs.
A Flagrant 2 is not just a hard foul. Under NBA rules, it is contact judged to be “unnecessary and excessive.” The penalty is two free throws and possession for the opposing team, and a Flagrant 2 requires an ejection. The NBA rulebook also states that a player assessed a Flagrant 2 is fined a minimum of $2,000 and that the incident is reported to the League Office.
The league also notes that a Flagrant 2 can leave the player “subject to a fine not exceeding $50,000 and/or suspension by the Commissioner.” That does not mean Wembanyama will be suspended automatically, but it does mean Game 5 availability is now a legitimate question until the league makes its review known.
Wembanyama’s Game 5 Status Is Now the Spurs’ Biggest Question
The timing makes this more than a viral playoff controversy.
Wembanyama is the center of everything San Antonio does on both ends of the court. Losing him for most of Game 4 was damaging enough. Losing him for Game 5, if the league adds a suspension, would be a much larger swing in a series that has already been defined by his rim protection, offensive gravity and Minnesota’s attempts to match his size.
The Spurs can argue context. The play happened in traffic near the basket during a fight for position, not during a dead-ball confrontation. McDonald also pointed to the ejection itself as a possible mitigating factor, reposting a fan’s argument that Wembanyama effectively already served a heavy penalty by being removed early in Game 4.
That may become part of the public conversation before the league rules. But the NBA’s review will likely center on the force of the elbow, where the contact landed and whether officials believe the play created unnecessary risk to Reid.
For Minnesota, the call gave the Timberwolves an immediate opening. For San Antonio, it created the worst kind of playoff uncertainty: not just how to survive the rest of Game 4 without Wembanyama, but whether the franchise player will be cleared for the next one.
What started as one elbow under the basket is now a series-shaping question.
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