Overview
- An MRI after Wembanyama’s Dec. 31 left-knee hyperextension showed no ligament damage, and the Spurs listed him day-to-day as he traveled and practiced five-on-five before the Memphis trip.
- Coach Mitch Johnson cleared him to come off the bench with a strict minutes restriction, stressing the team will be “extremely mindful” and keep decisions flexible.
- Wembanyama logged 30 points in 21 minutes in his return but did not play the final 3:46 because of the cap as Memphis closed out a 106–105 win behind Cam Spencer’s late scoring.
- Johnson said Wembanyama’s availability for the second night of the back-to-back against the Lakers depends on how his knee responds, noting postgame that he “came out pretty good.”
- Wembanyama has missed 14 of the Spurs’ 36 games this season, leaving him with only a small margin under the NBA’s 65-game minimum for postseason award eligibility.