Wemby Needs 20 Minutes Friday to Stay Eligible for MVP and DPOY. The Spurs Say He's Playing.

Victor Wembanyama's MRI came back negative — it's just a rib contusion from a collision with Paul George, not a fracture. The Spurs are "hopeful" he'll suit up Friday against Dallas.

Here's why Friday matters: Wemby needs to play at least 20 minutes in one of San Antonio's final two games (vs Dallas Friday, vs Denver Sunday) to hit the 65-game threshold for end-of-season awards. He's the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year and a legitimate MVP contender.

The good news? He participated in shootaround Wednesday before sitting out the Blazers game. The Spurs are locked into the 2-seed regardless, so this is purely about awards eligibility. Given what Wembanyama has done this season — anchoring the fastest rebuild in NBA history and leading San Antonio to 60 wins — missing out on hardware because of a rib bruise would be genuinely cruel.