In the heat of a playoff battle, emotions run high—and sometimes, so do elbows. After Victor Wembanyama was ejected from Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals for a flagrant 2 foul on Naz Reid, the basketball world erupted. Fans and analysts alike called for the Spurs' rookie sensation to be suspended, with ESPN's Kendrick Perkins leading the charge.

"They better do it," Perkins said on Monday. "If they don't, it's a horrible look on Adam Silver and the NBA. He looked Naz Reid in the eye and hit him with a vicious elbow. That could have caused serious injury. If they don't suspend him, it tells fans the league is about money and stardom, not protecting players."

But the league ultimately decided not to suspend Wembanyama, allowing him to suit up for Tuesday's Game 5. And in a twist that might surprise Perkins and others, the Timberwolves themselves didn't want him sidelined.

Veteran point guard Mike Conley, a respected voice in Minnesota's locker room and across the NBA, set the record straight. "I don't think we thought about it at all. Once the ruling came down, we expected that. Move forward. We don't want guys to miss games. We want to play against the best," Conley told reporters ahead of the pivotal Game 5.

It's a powerful reminder that while the outside world buzzes with controversy, the players on the floor are focused on one thing: competing at the highest level. For the Timberwolves, that means facing a full-strength Spurs squad, no excuses, no asterisks—just playoff basketball at its finest.