Spurs' Victor Wembanyama unavailable for Game 3 against Portland while recovering from concussion

Victor Wembanyama will miss Game 3 vs. Portland while continuing to recover from a concussion.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) —

The San Antonio Spurs said Victor Wembanyama is not available for Friday night’s Game 3 (

10:30 ET, Prime Video

) against Portland in the teams’

first-round playoff series

while he continues to recover from a concussion.

Wembanyama — the league’s first unanimous

Kia Defensive Player of the Year

and one of

three finalists

for the Kia Most Valuable Player award — went down in the second quarter of Game 2 on Tuesday night and

did not return

.

Portland went on to win the game

106-103

in San Antonio. The series is tied heading into the third game.

“Victor is not playing tonight. Obviously there’s a lot that goes into that, but he’s doing well and progressing,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.

Wembanyama traveled to Portland

with the Spurs on Thursday afternoon

while continuing to complete

the steps mandated by the league’s concussion protocol. Earlier, he was listed as questionable for Friday’s game.

Players must clear a series of benchmarks before being cleared for play under the concussion protocol. The results are compared to baseline neurological evaluations players take at the start of the season.

Any extended absence by Wembanyama could be a massive blow to San Antonio, which finished with the league’s second-best record behind the versatile 7-foot-4 center from France. They were 12-6 in the regular season without Wembanyama.

Wembanyama averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a league-best 3.1 blocks per game this season. He was also with his teammates on Wednesday evening, when they all donned cowboy hats and surprised teammate Keldon Johnson after he was announced as the league’s

Sixth Man of the Year