Victor Wembanyama Placed in NBA Concussion Protocol After Fall in Playoff Game

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was placed in the NBA's concussion protocol after tumbling face-first to the court and exiting in the second quarter of Tuesday night's playoff game against the Portland Trail Blazers, who rallied for a 106-103 victory to level the series at one game apiece. Wembanyama was being evaluated for a concussion and a determination could be made in the next 24 hours, a Spurs official said. Any extended absence would be a massive blow to San Antonio, which finished with the league's second-best record behind the versatile 7ft 4in center from France. Under league guidelines, a player in the concussion protocol must have at least 48 hours of inactivity and recovery and then meet several benchmarks without symptoms before being cleared to play. That includes neurological testing and final clearance from a team doctor in consultation with the league's concussion protocol director. Wembanyama was fouled by Jrue Holiday after spinning around the Trail Blazers guard in the paint. Unable to brace himself, he fell forward and his jaw struck the floor with 8:57 remaining in the second quarter. He remained on the court for about 30 seconds before sitting up and speaking with teammate Stephon Castle. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson called timeout to check on him, and Wembanyama walked to the locker room moments later. He finished with five points, four rebounds, one block and one assist in 12 minutes. San Antonio appeared poised to withstand his absence, building a 14-point lead early in the fourth quarter before their offense stalled. Portland held the Spurs without a field goal over the final 3:37 and closed on an 11-2 run. Scoot Henderson led the Trail Blazers with 31 points. Holiday added 16 points and nine assists, Deni Avdija scored 14, and Robert Williams III had 11, including an alley-oop dunk with 12 seconds remaining to give Portland a 104-101 lead. Castle led San Antonio with 18 points, while De'Aaron Fox scored 17 and Devin Vassell added 16 points and 12 rebounds. Game 3 is Friday in Portland.