Victor Wembanyama's ejection stole the show in Game 4. It was pretty clearly an intentional elbow to Naz Reid's neck, and Minnesota Timberwolves fans were rightfully outraged by this dirty play. While an ejection was substantial, it was worth wondering if there would be any further action, whether that be a fine or possibly even a suspension.
However, per Shams Charania, no further discipline will be taken ahead of Tuesday's Game 5. Understandably, Wemby's history of not committing dirty plays factored into this decision.
Frankly, Wemby being suspended seemed like a stretch given the magnitude of the series. It wasn't entirely out of the question, though. Now the Wolves have to officially get ready to play the San Antonio Spurs at full strength in Game 5, which, of course, will be a difficult task.
The Wolves narrowly pulled off a Game 4 win to even up the series, winning 114-109. With the series tied 2-2, the outcome of Game 5 could very well decide the series, and the Wolves will have their hands full on the road.
Wembanyama's return makes things challenging for the Wolves
The Timberwolves were able to overcome San Antonio's massive Wemby advantage in Game 1, holding him to 5-for-17 shooting en route to a two-point win. Nevertheless, they had no answer for him in Game 3, where he scored an absurd 39 points.
And perhaps more importantly, Wembanyama's defensive presence has been a massive hurdle for the Wolves throughout the series. Wembanyama cuts off Minnesota's driving lanes and makes scoring around the rim nearly impossible. The Wolves have yet to find a way to consistently generate offense when Wemby is on the court, and that will have to change if they're able to close out the series.
The bright side is that Anthony Edwards has been tremendous. He is coming off his second straight 30-plus point game and is showing no ill effects from his knee injury. Ant-Man continuing his stellar play, undoubtedly gives the Wolves a chance to overcome Wemby's return.
As hinted at earlier, though, the Wolves struggled somewhat even without Wemby. The Spurs' swarming perimeter defense remained challenging for a Wolves team that doesn't have much ball-handling or creation outside of Edwards. It's fair to expect that the Wolves would have lost Game 4 had Wemby not been ejected.
To this end, it will be vital for the Timberwolves to make some adjustments in Game 5, and Wemby's return provides a massive challenge. The Wolves are two games away from their third straight conference finals appearance, but winning against Wemby will be a tall task.
Luckily, the Wolves have continued to prove that they can never be counted out and that they are capable of rising to the occasion.
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