Wembanyama plans to travel with the team to Portland! He hopes to return early: G3 absence not yet confirmed

On April 23 Beijing time, Spurs interior player Wembanyama fell heavily during the second quarter of Game 2 against the Trail Blazers yesterday and was subsequently diagnosed with a concussion. Fortunately, there are currently no signs indicating other accompanying injuries. According to San Antonio Express reporter Mike Finger, head coach Mitch Johnson confirmed this situation in the post-game media interview, and two team staff members also verified it.

Even if it is just a simple concussion, it is still far from reassuring, as concussion recovery and management are extremely challenging. Reporter Jeff McDonald of the newspaper cited NBA injury tracking data, indicating that players average about 7 to 10 days of absence after suffering a concussion. This means the Defensive Player of the Year is likely to miss at least Games 3 and 4, and the absence could potentially be even longer.

Wembanyama himself hopes to return ahead of schedule. Shams revealed that the third-year star visited the Spurs training center today and plans to travel with the team to the Trail Blazers' home arena, but the final itinerary has not been finalized.Shams stated that the entire Spurs team and Wembanyama are currently assessing his recovery daily, and whether he can play in Saturday's Game 3 remains uncertain.

McDonald mentioned that Wembanyama's teammates understand that if the core player is absent, the team must perform better than they did in the late stages of Game 2. In this game, the Spurs held a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter but ultimately suffered a collapse and reversal.

Wing player Vassell said: "Everyone must step up. We all know what Victor brings to the team, and we've played several games without him this season. The gap he leaves needs to be filled by everyone together."

Wembanyama is not the only injured Spurs player in this game, but guard Dylan Harper and forward Harrison Barnes are expected to be available for Game 3.

Harper's old left thumb injury from the regular season finale recurred in this game, while Barnes suffered a shoulder contusion in a collision with Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan. Regarding pre-game treatment, Harper said: "Mainly just icing, that's it. There aren't many ways to handle a thumb injury; you just try to protect it and minimize strain."

Team reporter McDonald analyzed that if Wembanyama is absent, the team's high-paid core DeAaron Fox needs to shoulder more responsibility. Fox scored 17 points in this game but had 3 turnovers and only 4 assists, shooting 6-for-16 overall and 1-for-6 in the fourth quarter. During his 34 minutes on the court, the Spurs were outscored by 14 points.

After Wembanyama left the game, the Spurs' defense managed to hold its rhythm, but the offense completely collapsed in the late stages: they shot 0-for-7 in the final 3 minutes and 37 seconds and committed 2 turnovers. Head coach Johnson admitted after the game that the collapse cannot be entirely blamed on missing Wembanyama; he praised the Trail Blazers' defensive intensity and said this young team learned a crucial lesson from this tight playoff loss.

"The intensity of the game, the physical toll of playing for extended periods, led to fatigue among the players. This is the level of playoff competition, the rhythm we must adapt to. This team still has much room to grow and learn."