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Wembanyama Returns, Spurs Beat Portland 114-93, Lead 3-1

4/28/2026

33 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Victor Wembanyama returned Sunday, posting 27 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks as the Spurs beat Portland 114-93 to take a 3-1 series lead.
He missed Game 3 after the NBA denied his clearance an hour before tipoff despite Spurs doctors clearing him.
Wembanyama called the protocol handling very disappointing, praised Spurs staff care, and said his frustration was with the NBA, not the team.

History

Historical Context

After the NBA halted the 2019-20 season on 11 March 2020 when Rudy Gobert tested positive, the league instituted health-safety protocols that required medical clearance and isolation before play. Those rules, refined in December and applied through the 2020-21 season, now govern Victor Wembanyama’s Game 3 clearance dispute, showing how the 2020 pandemic response still shapes league-team relations.

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Story summary

Victor Wembanyama returned Sunday, posting 27 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks as the Spurs beat Portland 114-93 to take a 3-1 series lead.
He missed Game 3 after the NBA denied his clearance an hour before tipoff despite Spurs doctors clearing him.
Wembanyama called the protocol handling very disappointing, praised Spurs staff care, and said his frustration was with the NBA, not the team.

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