In a surprising early career moment, the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama was ejected from his team’s Game 4 matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to elbowing Naz Reid in the face.
The hard elbow occurred in the game’s second quarter during a Spurs’ possession in which Wemby grabbed the board and attempted to clear out the defenders around him.
Reid, who was part of a double-team on the big man, took a shot to the face as Wembanyama clearly delivered an elbow. The commentators realized the severity of the situation, and after the referees reviewed the play, they issued a Flagrant 2 foul to the Spurs star, and he was ejected.
That gave Minnesota the chance to capitalize on an absence from one of the game’s most dominant big men in recent history, who recently recorded that impressive 39 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks in Game 3.
With Wemby gone in the second quarter, it meant less to worry about in terms of a 7-foot-7 giant roaming the paint to contest shots, take away rebounds, or score with ease on the opposite end.
More news: Victor Wembanyama Bracing for NBA Punishment After Flagrant 2 Ejection
Minnesota led 60-56 at halftime, and despite the Spurs outscoring them 28-20 in the third quarter, they still secured the 114-109 win, with Anthony Edwards scoring 36 points.
During a postgame press conference, Reid offered a simple message when asked about taking that elbow to the face from Wembanyama.
“Pain is weakness leaving the body, that’s it,” he stated.
Teammates Edwards and Ayo Dosunmu were seated next to him at the table, looked at each other, and laughed about it.
Based on that, Reid may have shrugged off taking that elbow, or he is showing his team and others a level of toughness not often seen in today’s league.
There have been criticisms that the league is soft, but when a player can withstand a hard elbow to the face and keep playing to help their team, it speaks volumes.
Reid, a member of the Timberwolves’ roster since 2019, has been a key reserve for the team, participating in at least 68 games in his past six seasons and contributing with scoring, rebounding, blocks, and hustle play.
He came off the bench to score 15 points, grab nine rebounds, and dish out four assists as his team tied the series up 2-2. They’ll resume with Game 5 in San Antonio on Tuesday night, with a decision from the NBA on Wemby’s punishment forthcoming.
Read more: Charles Barkley Calls Knicks Sweep of 76ers ‘Embarrassing’
For more about the NBA, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Related Articles
