The Spurs are holding their breath. After a costly ejection in Game 4, the question on every San Antonio fan's mind is simple: Will Victor Wembanyama be suspended for Game 5?

It's a scenario that feels all too familiar. Just last round, the Spurs lost their franchise player mid-game, couldn't close out the win, and then had to soldier on without him in the next contest. Now, history might be repeating itself against the Minnesota Timberwolves—this time, because of an on-court infraction.

Wembanyama was tossed from Sunday's pivotal Game 4 after throwing a nasty elbow that caught Timberwolves sixth man Naz Reid square in the face during the second quarter. Despite losing their star, the Spurs actually held their own, building an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter. But a crushing 21-7 Minnesota run flipped the script, evening the series and leaving the Spurs with a bitter taste as they head back to San Antonio.

Now, the wait begins. Will the league step in?

Here's the good news: a Flagrant 2 foul doesn't come with an automatic suspension. The bad news? The NBA will almost certainly review the play for further discipline, which could mean a fine—or worse, a one-game ban. For a player of Wembanyama's caliber, missing a critical Game 5 would be a massive blow, not just for the Spurs but for the league itself.

History suggests a suspension is very much on the table. The NBA has suspended players for throwing elbows before, and the replay doesn't do Wembanyama any favors. He appeared to wind up before making contact with Reid, making it tough for the league to rule the hit as incidental or unavoidable.

Unlike a punch—which carries an automatic one-game suspension—an elbow is left to the league's discretion. That means the NBA will weigh the incident itself, precedent, and the context of the playoffs. And precedent tells us there's a real chance Wembanyama is watching from the sidelines in Game 5.