Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama opens up on threat of NBA Finals suspension

Victor Wembanyama is on the ropes for more than one reason. Yes, the San Antonio Spurs are down 3-1 and are on the brink of elimination. For Wembanyama, though, there’s one more thing he needs to worry about. After an inadvertent elbow from Wemby hit Karl-Anthony Towns on the jaw, the star center was assessed with a Flagrant 1 foul.

Another flagrant foul on Wembanyama will result in a one-game suspension: a catastrophic result for the Spurs as they fight for their playoff lives. Wembanyama was, of course, asked about this and how it will impact his performance in Game 5. The star center said that the looming threat of a suspension won’t change the way he plays, but he’ll exercise more caution.

“Of course I’m going to be more careful, but it’s not going to change much,” Wemby said in the post-game press conference.

Wembanyama already has three “flagrant foul points” this postseason. The remaining two points come from the second round, when the Spurs center violently elbowed Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid on the head. Wemby was ejected from the game and was given a Flagrant 2 foul, though he avoided a suspension in the following game.

If Wembanyama gets another flagrant foul in the Spurs, that will result in his suspension, regardless of whether it’s a flagrant 1 or 2. NBA rules dictate that a player with more than three “flagrant points” will automatically be suspended for the following game. With how physical the series has been, Wemby definitely needs to be more careful in the next game in how he handles the Knicks’ defenders.

The Spurs are headed back to San Antonio after the biggest collapse in NBA Finals history. San Antonio led by as much as 29 points, but a brutal second-half effort from the road team allowed the Knicks to come back. The Spurs were handed opportunities to win the game despite blowing the lead, but costly mistakes in the clutch sealed the deal.

Only one team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals: the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers. Wembanyama has been anointed as the next potential GOAT of the league by some. For them to come back from this hole, he’ll need to show exactly why he’s been called that.

The post Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama opens up on threat of NBA Finals suspension appeared first on ClutchPoints.