Flagrants? Fatigue? Why Victor Wembanyama’s physicality issue looms large over NBA Finals
Everything changed when Victor Wembanyama's right elbow caught Karl-Anthony Towns' chin in Game 4. The NBA Finals were never the same.
Wembanyama's dangerous elbow during a swim move at the 9:27 mark of the third quarter resulted in a Flagrant 1 penalty and two trips to the free-throw line for Towns with possession. It was a costly play in the immediate term, but the damage to the Spurs' title chances has yet to be seen.
Wembanyama's emotions and violent physicality have gotten him in trouble. Wednesday's foul on Towns added another flagrant-foul point to his postseason ledger. A round earlier in the Western Conference finals, Wembanyama, with the same right elbow, connected with Naz Reid's head and was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul, forcing him to be ejected. So now, Wembanyama has three flagrant points heading into Game 5 (8:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ABC).
Under league rules, four flagrant points in one playoff run create an automatic suspension for the following game. That's right, with one more flagrant foul, Wembanyama will be in street clothes for the following game — that is, if the series isn't already over by then. (For those wondering, he'd still be able to finish out the game if it's a Flagrant 1.)
Physicality is an essential part of Wembanyama's game and a principal reason why Game 4 ended the way it did. It's wrong to say the Spurs' epic Game 4 collapse began immediately after halftime. In reality, the Spurs were still getting the looks they wanted, generating paint touches in the opening three possessions of the third quarter and putting the Knicks' defense in a blender.
Wembanyama himself earned a paint touch (missing the layup) and then made a wide-open 3-pointer from the corner off of a Stephon Castle drive with two feet in the paint. Following the string of downhill attacks, the Spurs widened the lead to a game-high 29 points with under 10 minutes t
