In the first round of the playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs lost Victor Wembanyama mid-game, couldn't hang on for the win, and had to play without him the following game.
It looked like that scenario might replay itself against the Minnesota Timberwolves, this time due to an on-court infraction.
Wembanyama was ejected from Sunday's Game 4 after elbowing Timberwolves sixth man Naz Reid in the second quarter. The Spurs held their own without their star and led by as much as eight in the fourth quarter before a 21-7 Minnesota run flipped the game and evened the series.
As the series shifts back to San Antonio, the Spurs received better news on Monday with the NBA deciding against further punishment for Wembanyama.
Here's what you need to know about the NBA's discipline for Wembanyama.
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Why wasn't Victor Wembanyama suspended?
Flagrant 2 fouls don't come with an automatic suspension, but the NBA typically reviews a player's actions for more discipline, which put a fine and even a suspension on the table for Wembanyama.
While it would have been a major blow for the Spurs and for the league itself not to have one of the game's premier players on the floor for a critical Game 5, history suggested a suspension was possible. The league has suspended players for throwing elbows in the past, and the fact that Wembanyama appeared to wind up before hitting Reid seemingly made it tough for the NBA to say the contact was incidental or unavoidable.
An elbow is, however, at the discretion of the NBA. A punch is outlined in league rules as at least a one-game suspension, but the league can only base its decision on Wembanyama's Game 5 status on the incident itself and precedent.
The NBA ultimately decided Wembanyama's ejection was enough punishment, declining to fine or suspend him for Game 5.
Wembanyama was ejected early in the second quarter, so he already lost more than half of a game as a result of the incident. Had the incident occurred in the fourth quarter, it's possible the NBA's decision would have been different.
When is Game 5 of Spurs-Timberwolves?
The series will resume on Tuesday night in San Antonio, with Game 5 set to tip off at 8 p.m. ET. It's the only game of the night in the NBA.
The Spurs and Timberwolves will receive an additional off day between Game 5 and Game 6, as Game 6 isn't until Friday night back in Minnesota. If Wembanyama had been suspended, he would have had four full days off between games.
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NBA suspensions for elbows
Recent history tells us that suspensions for elbows that the NBA deems unnecessary are common.
The most memorable example came in 2012, when Metta World Peace hit James Harden with a vicious elbow and was suspended for seven games. World Peace's status as a repeat offender was a factor, and the elbow certainly looked more egregious than most, so a multi-game suspension was a rare step by the NBA.
Hassan Whiteside received a one-game suspension for an elbow to the neck of Boban Marjanovic in 2016. While Whiteside didn't appear to hit Marjanovic as hard as Wembanyama hit Reid, the contact appeared to be intentional or at least unnecessary.
In 2021, LeBron James was suspended one game for an elbow to the face of Isaiah Stewart, which sparked a major brawl between the Pistons and Lakers.
Not every elbow has resulted in a suspension. When Ausar Thompson was hit in the jaw by an elbow from Richaun Holmes in 2025, Holmes was ejected but not suspended, and played in the Wizards' next game. Holmes could at least make the case that he was fighting to hold onto the ball, though the NBA deemed the contact unnecessary enough to eject him.
With the NBA not suspending Wembanyana, it could mean the league views the incident with Reid as being on a similar level as Holmes' elbow to Thompson.
