The world turned upside down for the San Antonio Spurs. In the second quarter of Game 2 of their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers, Victor Wembanyama went down. A nasty fall saw the Spurs sensation hit his head, and he has officially been diagnosed with a concussion. For the next 48 hours, Wemby can’t do anything but recollect himself from the concerning ailment.

What made matters worse is the Spurs’ loss in Game 2 on their home floor. As things stand, Wembanyama’s participation in the series could be limited. However, there’s a possibility it could be the minimum time, with head coach Mitch Johnson offering a positive update after the game.

“I just know he has a concussion and he’s in a protocol. We’ll obviously take the proper, appropriate steps… I didn’t get the full message on what happened. I couldn’t tell if he was holding his hand or his chest,” Johnson said when asked about Wembanyama’s state after his gruesome fall.

Here’s the good part of the aftermath. As brutal as the fall looked, Victor Wembanyama didn’t need to go to a hospital for further inspection. Moreover, despite the hard landing on his chin, there’s no damage to his jaw. The only requirement from Wemby is to abide by the NBA’s concussion protocol guidelines.

They don’t explicitly state an exact timeline for return. For the first two days after the incident, the Spurs cornerstone has to remain inactive and can’t perform any physical activity. Following that period, he will undergo a series of tests while being monitored by team doctors. It’s only after the NBA’s concussion expert approval that the Spurs talisman can return to action.

It’s a huge relief that the towering center hasn’t suffered any extensive damage. However, if he does have to miss games, it could put the Spurs in serious trouble.

Scoot Henderson shoots the Trail Blazers to a win

After the Spurs’ dominance in Game 1, this series looked over. But Victor Wembanyama, suffering a concussion, has changed everything. According to Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, Wemby could potentially miss the entire series if he needs the maximum time to recover from the concussion. Judging from that update, Wemby may miss the first two road games of the series.

That could put the Spurs’ championship aspirations under serious threat. The Trail Blazers just showed that they could match up closely with San Antonio without Victor Wembanyama.

Particularly, Scoot Henderson has used the first two games of the series to revive his buzz. He had a clinical Game 2 performance, scoring a game-high 31 points on 11/17 shooting from the field. This is Henderson’s second straight game scoring 20 or more points in the series. His performance also included five triples.

However, the bigger focus is on Portland’s exquisite defensive performance. In 18 games without Victor Wembanyama in the regular season, the Spurs’ offense barely suffered. They still averaged 120 points. But tonight, they were held to just 46 second-half points. Portland’s defensive versatility upset the Spurs’ rhythm.

They even outscored the Spurs 40-38 in the paint. The Spurs’ ability to defend the interior without Wemby could decide the trajectory of the series. Deni Avdija is among the players with the most drives in the NBA. The Trail Blazers star can also regularly get to the free-throw line. And it’s unlikely for him to struggle as he did tonight.

The tide has indeed shifted. Portland’s the team with home court advantage now. And they will possibly play the first two games without having to face Wembanyama’s terrorizing rim protection. The next few games could be make or break for the Spurs. It’s up to the rest of the crew to allow Victor Wembanyama to impact the series and help the Spurs advance.

The ask isn’t much. All they need is one game on the road to recapture home-court advantage. But can they do it without Wemby? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.