Getty

The San Antonio Spurs received another encouraging Victor Wembanyama injury update before their first chance to close out the Portland Trail Blazers.

Wembanyama, who recently returned from the NBA’s concussion protocol, is not listed on the league’s latest injury report for Game 5 between the Spurs and Trail Blazers. The NBA’s 8:30 p.m. ET injury report for April 27 lists Portland guard Damian Lillard as out for the 9:30 p.m. ET matchup in San Antonio, but it does not include Wembanyama or any other Spurs player on the Game 5 listing.

That is a notable development after the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama’s status became one of the biggest storylines of the series. The Spurs star suffered a concussion in Game 2, missed Game 3, then cleared protocol and returned for Game 4, according to ESPN.

Now San Antonio appears set to have its franchise centerpiece available as the Spurs take a 3-1 series lead back home.

Victor Wembanyama’s Injury Status Changes Spurs’ Game 5 Outlook

The difference between the 22-year-old being listed as questionable and not being listed at all is significant.

An injury designation would have kept at least some uncertainty around his availability, even after he played in Game 4. Instead, the latest report points toward Wembanyama being fully available for Game 5 barring a late change.

That matters because his Game 4 return was not merely ceremonial.

Wembanyama finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds, seven blocks and four steals as San Antonio beat Portland 114-93. The Spurs also erased a 19-point deficit and outscored the Trail Blazers 73-35 in the second half to take command of the series.

During the regular season, Wemby averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 blocks over 64 games.

That performance served as a reminder of why Wembanyama’s availability changes the entire geometry of the matchup. Portland can still pressure San Antonio with tempo, guard play and physicality, but the Blazers’ margin for error shrinks dramatically when Wembanyama is protecting the rim, cleaning the glass and forcing possessions to bend around him.

For the Spurs, Game 5 is not just another home playoff game. It is a chance to end the series before giving Portland another opportunity to drag the matchup back to the Northwest.

Wembanyama Returned After a Tense Concussion-Protocol Stretch

Wembanyama’s removal from the injury report comes after a high-profile stretch involving the NBA’s concussion process.

The 7-foot-4 center was diagnosed with a concussion after hitting his head during Game 2, and the league’s concussion protocol requires a monitored, step-by-step return process before a player can resume full participation. The NBA’s concussion policy summary says a player diagnosed with a concussion may not begin the return-to-participation exertion process until 24 hours after the injury, and that process includes increasing levels of activity such as stationary bike work, jogging, agility work and non-contact team drills.

Wembanyama returned in Game 4, but he made clear afterward that he was unhappy with parts of the process. The New York Post reported that Wembanyama called the handling of the situation “very disappointing,” while clarifying that his frustration was not directed at the Spurs’ medical staff.

That is part of what makes the latest injury report more than a routine availability note. The public conversation around Wembanyama has shifted quickly from whether he could clear protocol, to how the protocol was handled, to whether he can now lead San Antonio into the next round.

For Game 5 purposes, the practical answer is the most important one for Spurs fans: Wembanyama is no longer carrying an injury designation.

Spurs Can Close Out Blazers With Wembanyama Back at Center of Everything

San Antonio’s task is straightforward, but not automatic.

The Spurs lead the series 3-1 and have the closeout chance at home, but Portland has already shown it can put San Antonio under pressure. The Trail Blazers built a 19-point lead in Game 4 before the Spurs flipped the game after halftime.

Wembanyama’s presence gives San Antonio its clearest path to avoiding that kind of danger again. His rim protection can limit Portland’s clean looks in the paint, and his offensive gravity makes it harder for the Blazers to load up on De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and the Spurs’ other perimeter creators.

There is also a workload question, even with Wembanyama off the injury report. San Antonio does not need him to force everything early if the guards are creating quality shots and the defense is set. But the Spurs do need his defensive control to be present from the opening minutes, especially after slow starts created stress in Games 3 and 4.

That is why the latest update matters. It does not guarantee a Spurs win, and it does not erase the seriousness of the concussion situation that preceded it. But it does mean San Antonio enters Game 5 with its most important player available and no longer listed as a question mark.

For a team one win from advancing, that is the injury news the Spurs needed.