If the Spurs are able to take a 3-1 lead on the Timberwolves, they’ll need to do so without Victor Wembanyama for the rest of Game 4.

Wembanyama, the San Antonio superstar, was ejected with 8:39 left in the second quarter after elbowing Naz Reid while fighting for possession and being assessed a Flagrant 2 in Minnesota on Sunday.

When Wembanyama initially made contact, Reid fell to the ground, and after the referees reviewed the play, the 7-foot-4 center was sent down the tunnel and to the locker room.

It marked a seismic shift in a critical juncture of the series, with the Spurs staring down a chance to take a commanding series lead over the No. 6-seed Timberwolves before play shifts back to San Antonio but now needing to adapt on the fly without their best player for the final 32-plus minutes.

Victor Wembanyama elbows Naz Reid during the Spurs’ May 10 game.…