Spurs’ Wembanyama Out for NBA Cup Game Due to Knee Contusion

Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs‘ star center, has been officially ruled out for Tuesday night’s NBA Cup game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a right knee contusion. The decision was made after an initial assessment listed him as doubtful earlier this week, according to a report by Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.

The 20-year-old player missed the team’s previous outing against the Dallas Mavericks last Saturday, having sustained the injury during a collision with Los Angeles Lakers‘ Anthony Davis on Friday. «A little beat-up right now,» Wembanyama commented on the evening of the injury. «I took a big hit. It’s just a hit. I didn’t twist anything. This is not a big deal.»

Devin Vassell, another key player for the Spurs, will also be absent from the upcoming game. Vassell is dealing with a sore left knee, unrelated to the stress fracture surgery he underwent during the offseason. He had returned to play four consecutive games but sat out the game against Dallas. Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson mentioned, «Foot is fine. It’s just a flare-up in his knee. Being conservative as we’ve been all month.»

Wembanyama’s impact has been significant in his NBA tenure so far, with the 2023 No. 1 draft pick averaging 22.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.7 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game. Additionally, he has set a franchise record by connecting on 24 3-pointers over a four-game stretch, reported the Associated Press.