Johnson: De’Aaron Fox (ankle) expected to play on Sunday.
Getty
San Antonio Spurs star Dylan Harper left with a right hamstring injury in Game 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The San Antonio Spurs are down in the Western Conference Finals series to the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 2-1 record.
And the time is getting heavy on them. Game 4 is scheduled for tomorrow night in San Antonio, and the condition of their backcourt players will largely determine what the outcome will be.
De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper both played in Game 3 though they are injured. Fox who was injured in a right ankle sprain made his first appearance in the series while Harper who is suffering from right adductor soreness provided some minutes off the bench.
San Antonio lost 123-108 but having both guards back gave the Spurs a little more options on the floor.
GettyDylan Harper
According to Underdog NBA, citing Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson, both Fox and Harper are expected to play in Game 4.
Johnson: De’Aaron Fox (ankle) expected to play on Sunday.
Johnson: Dylan Harper (adductor) expected to play on Sunday.
Fox had sustained the ankle injury since Game 4 of the Minnesota series when Ayo Dosunmu accidentally landed on his foot as he was diving for a loose ball.
Fox was determined to finish that series and after that, he didn’t play the first two games versus OKC. When he was back on the court in Game 3, he started really well, scoring the very first point of the game and definitely helping San Antonio to get a 15-0 lead.
But the ankle got re-aggravated in the third quarter when Lu Dort dove for a loose ball and landed on it. Fox finished the game with 15 points, but the concern around his ankle is now even more real heading into Game 4.
Harper’s case is a bit more serious also. In the opener, he scored 24 points but the groin pain has noticeably affected him after he exited Game 2.
Harper kept it honest after the game too. He said he felt good during warmups and always believed he had a chance to play, but at the end of the night, the only thing that mattered was winning and they did not get that done.
GettyDe’Aaron Fox
That initial 15-0 lead in the first quarter of Game 3 clearly demonstrated what San Antonio could do as a team with their complete backcourt coming on. However, the difficulty was that OKC answered, seized the lead by halftime, and from then on pretty much controlled the game.
Oklahoma City is one of the best teams in the league in generating turnovers, and the problem becomes even more serious when your main playmakers are unavailable. Stephon Castle is doing the job well so far, but he really shouldn’t be the only one carrying the burden.
The Spurs have to win Game 4 to stay alive in a real way.
Jayesh Pagar Jayesh Pagar is a writer at Heavy Sports, covering the New York Knicks and other NBA teams. He brings four years of experience across digital sports media, including NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football. He covered as the Knicks beat writer for ONSI and has written for PFSN, Sporting News, and ClutchPoints. More about Jayesh Pagar
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