The San Antonio Spurs find themselves in a heated playoff battle, and emotions are running high. On Sunday, rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama was ejected from Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves after throwing an elbow that connected with Naz Reid's head. The play, which occurred in the second quarter, started when Wembanyama grabbed a rebound and appeared to be hit in the head by Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels. As he came down, he retaliated with a swinging elbow that sent Reid to the court.

The referees reviewed the incident and issued Wembanyama a Flagrant 2 foul, leading to his ejection. The Timberwolves went on to win 114-109, tying the series at 2-2. But the real story came after the game, when Spurs coach Mitch Johnson delivered a fiery defense of his star player.

"I just think that the amount of physicality that people play with him—at some level, you have to protect yourself," Johnson said. "Every single play on every part of the floor, people are trying to impose their physicality on him. He doesn't complain one time. We don't complain because we're just gonna play. But at some stage, he should be protected. And if not, he's gonna have to protect himself, and unfortunately, stuff like that happens."

Johnson's frustration was palpable. He argued that the referees have allowed opposing teams to be overly aggressive with Wembanyama, pointing to the 22-year-old being "chucked" and "pushed down" in transition without any calls. For a player of Wembanyama's size and skill, the physical toll is immense, and Johnson believes the league needs to step up.

Some analysts have even suggested that Wembanyama could face a suspension for Game 5, but at the time of writing, the league had not made an announcement. As the series heads back to Minnesota, all eyes will be on how the officials handle the physicality—and whether Wembanyama can keep his cool under pressure.