Victor Wembanyama avoids suspension for Naz Reid elbow, will play Game 5

Spurs star Victor Wembanyama will not face any additional self-discipline for elbowing Minnesota’s Naz Reid and will play in Game 5 in opposition to the Timberwolves in San Antonio, sources informed ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Wembanyama was whistled for an offensive foul in Sunday evening’s Game 4 loss as quickly as he struck Reid, who had swarmed the NBA Defensive Player of the Year outdoors the paint together with Wolves teammate Jaden McDaniels after the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama rebounded a missed 3-pointer by the Spurs.

After a video assessment of the hit — which caught Reid on the proper aspect of his jaw and neck space, sending him spinning and crashing to the ground — referee Zach Zarba introduced the decision was upgraded to a flagrant foul 2 for extreme contact above the neck.

That penalty triggers an automated ejection.

Sitting on the bench when the penalty was introduced, Wembanyama appeared to ask teammate Harrison Barnes“What does that mean?”

Wembanyama’s ejection with 8:39 left within the second quarter is the earliest an All-Star has been tossed from a playoff sport within the play-by-play period (since 1997-98), in keeping with ESPN Research, and groups have now gone 1-8 when an All-Star is ejected from a playoff sport earlier than the fourth quarter.

The Western Conference semifinal sequence is tied 2-2 after Minnesota’s 114-109 win at house Sunday.

ESPN’s Michael C. Wright contributed to this report.