Inside The Spurs

Breaking: Victor Wembanyama Downgraded for Spurs-Heat

The San Antonio Spurs listed Victor Wembanyama's final availability against the Miami heat

Matt Guzman

Jan 31, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) rests before a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Frost Bank Center.
Jan 31, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) rests before a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
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The San Antonio Spurs will be shorthanded on Day two of their back-to-back.

Just 45 minutes prior to tipoff, the team announced that Victor Wembanyama — coming off of a 30-point, six-block performance against the Milwaukee Bucks — has been downgraded from available to out as he battles an unnamed illness.

Wembanyama sounded under the weather during his postgame press conference Friday evening as he spoke on the Spurs' blowout win over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, but didn't mention any illness or injury.

San Antonio, currently outside the top 10 in the Western Conference, is seeking back-to-back wins for the first time since the end of December — a pair of over the LA Clippers and Denver Nuggets boosted them to two games above .500 the close-out 2024 — but with its star now on the bench report, that mission could see a drastic increase in difficulty.

In spite of that, the Spurs will remain confident and keep .500 in sight.

"(Tonight) is one more example of how we need to play," Wembanyama said Friday. "It's an open door for the rest of the season. I could tell that everybody was tired of losing.

"There wasn't one moment where we let them be ... we've got to be inspired by that."

Tipoff between the Spurs and Heat at Frost Bank Center is set for 8:30 p.m. EST.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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