Spurs star Victor Wembanyama leaves Game 2 vs. Portland early, enters concussion protocol after smacking face on court

The San Antonio Spurs lost star Victor Wembanyama early on Tuesday night after he took a hard, awkward fall and smacked his face directly onto the floor in Game 2 of their playoff first-round matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Wembanyama was quickly placed into concussion protocol and ruled out for the rest of the game. Further specifics, including how long Wembanyama might be sidelined, are not yet known.

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Wembanyama lost his balance in the lane as he tried to make a move past Jrue Holiday midway through the second quarter on Tuesday night. But as Wembanyama turned around to try to get to the rim, he collided with Holiday and lost his balance.

That sent him crashing face-first down to the floor at the Frost Bank Center. Wembanyama’s chin collided with the court hard, and he remained down, clearly shaken up for quite some time under the rim.

After getting to a seated position, Wembanyama eventually jumped up and ran back to the locker room with 8:57 remaining in the second quarter.

Wembanyama had five points and four rebounds at the time. The MVP candidate was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year via a unanimous vote on Monday and received his trophy ahead of Tuesday’s contest in San Antonio. The Spurs rolled to a 1-0 lead in the series on Sunday after Wembanyama dropped 35 points in his postseason debut.

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The Spurs and Trail Blazers entered the locker room tied 57-57 at halftime on Tuesday night.

Game 3 of the series is set for Friday night at the Moda Center in Portland. It’s unclear how long Wembanyama will be sidelined in concussion protocol, but the series will undoubtedly shift dramatically if he misses any extended time.

This post will be updated with more information shortly.