The San Antonio Spurs will again wait and see if Victor Wembanyama will be available on Wednesday against the LA Lakers, as the big man is a game-time decision for the second leg of a back-to-back.
Wembanyama is coming off a dominant game, scoring a team-high 30 points in a 106-105 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. It marked his return after missing the previous two games with a bone bruise suffered on New Year’s Eve.
Despite playing 21 minutes against the Grizzlies, the 22-year-old remains on minute restrictions. San Antonio manages his workload very carefully, prioritizing long-term health over immediate deployment.
While his impact has been undeniable off the bench, it seems the organization still isn’t quite ready to ramp him all the way back up yet.
“We want him to be healthy for years, not just trying to win the next couple games or whatever it may be,” coach Mitch Johnson said, per San Antonio Express-News’ Jeff McDonald. “We have a duty to support him in a way that is in the best interest of him now and for a very long time. He’s too important to this league, and he deserves that.”
McDonald added that the medical staff will wait until warmups to evaluate how Victor Wembanyama responds, pending any residual soreness from the Grizzlies game.
Wembanyama has dealt with various injuries this season that forced him to miss 15 games. He’s been coming off the bench since mid-December, but the impact that the 7-foot-4 Frenchman provides goes far beyond just his play on the court, with his presence carrying a lot of weight in the locker room.
How to watch Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs vs LA Lakers
The marquee matchup between the Spurs and Lakers also puts Wembanyama against LeBron James and Luka Doncic. This is the third matchup between the conference rivals, with both winning one apiece. The game is scheduled to take place at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, with tipoff slated for 9:30 p.m. ET.
The game will be aired nationally on ESPN. SportsNet LA and FDSSW will also televise the game.
The Lakers enter the game riding a three-game winning streak, including a 111–103 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. Another thing to note is that the Lakers occupy the third seed (23-11), with the Spurs (25-11) just a game ahead in second.
Read More: LA Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs Prediction, Odds and More – Jan. 7 | 2025-26 NBA Season
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