Victor Wembanyama's MVP candidacy at risk after another injury right before playoffs

With the NBA playoffs acceptable to statesman adjacent Saturday, the San Antonio Spurs are looking to bring backmost their glory days of winning 5 titles from 1999 to 2014.

Victor Wembanyama has been the superior crushed for the team's instrumentality to playoff basketball, starring the NBA successful blocks per crippled for the 3rd clip successful arsenic galore seasons portion averaging 24.5 points and 11.5 rebounds, some vocation highs.

However, the 7-foot-4 phenom not lone suffered a rib contusion connected Monday night, putting him astatine hazard for the remainder of the regular play and the commencement of the playoffs, but his MVP candidacy is besides astatine risk.

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Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs reacts to an wounded during the archetypal fractional of a crippled against the Philadelphia 76ers astatine Frost Bank Center successful San Antonio, Texas, connected April 6, 2026. (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

The NBA states that players indispensable play 65 games successful bid to person votes for play awards specified arsenic MVP and All-NBA teams. However, Wembanyama has played successful 63.

That fig does not see the NBA Cup Final, which really does not number toward the stat sheet, but the NBA does number it toward the season-award total, marking him conscionable a spot safer.

If Wembanyama wants to beryllium named MVP, the NBA allows a maximum of 2 games successful which a subordinate logs betwixt 15 and 19.59 minutes to number toward the league-required minimum of 65 games played for grant eligibility. Wembanyama had 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks portion playing 15:40 successful the archetypal fractional connected Monday.

Paul George of the Philadelphia 76ers reaches retired to an injured Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the archetypal fractional astatine Frost Bank Center successful San Antonio, Texas, connected April 6, 2026. (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

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Wembanyama took an inadvertent elbow to the ribs from Paul George erstwhile the Philadelphia 76ers guardant was attempting to deflect a walk arsenic the 7-foot-4 Frenchman was sprinting up the tribunal connected a accelerated interruption with 10:49 remaining successful the archetypal half. Wembanyama tumbled to the tribunal and remained down for a infinitesimal portion George patted him connected the backside apologetically.

Wembanyama subbed retired of the crippled soon aft the collision and instantly went into the passageway starring to the locker country portion keeping his limb pressed to his side.

He returned with 5:33 remaining successful the period, but asked caput manager Mitch Johnson to instrumentality him retired with 44 seconds remaining successful the archetypal half. He again went into the passageway starring to the locker country portion holding his limb to his broadside and was ruled retired astatine the commencement of the 2nd half.

San Antonio (60-19) is 2.5 games down the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder (62-16) and assured of finishing nary worse than 2nd successful the conference.

San Antonio Spurs guardant Victor Wembanyama bring the shot upcourt against the Utah Jazz during the archetypal fractional of an NBA hoops game, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, successful Salt Lake City. (Rob Gray/AP)

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Each of the Spurs' last 3 games are astatine home.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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