DALLAS — The San Antonio Spurs were without their standout center Victor Wembanyama during Saturday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks due to a contusion on his right knee.

Interim coach Mitch Johnson informed the media that the towering 7-foot-3 player, who gained unanimous recognition as the NBA’s Rookie of the Year last season, is currently being evaluated on a day-to-day basis.

Following the Spurs’ defeat against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, Wembanyama indicated that his leg was feeling “pretty beat up.”

Wembanyama has been a key player for the Spurs, averaging an impressive 22.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He also leads the league in blocks, with an average of 3.7 per game, building on his record of 3.6 blocks per game from last season.

In the game prior, Wembanyama put on a stellar performance, tallying 28 points and 14 rebounds in 34 minutes of action. He previously achieved a career-high of 50 points in Wednesday’s victory over the Washington team.

Johnson acknowledged that the absence of Wembanyama would significantly affect the team’s strategy, as “a lot of minutes and a lot of shots” will be up for grabs.

“Players need to elevate their game,” Johnson emphasized, referencing his role leading the team since head coach Gregg Popovich was temporarily sidelined due to a mild stroke on November 2. “We don’t want anyone forcing plays individually; we need to focus on ball movement, maintain spacing, and potentially speed up our game.”

Zach Collins was tapped to step into the starting lineup in place of Wembanyama.

The Spurs will look to rebound with their next game scheduled for Tuesday at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder.