De’Aaron Fox clearly will be playing through pain again tonight.
“I’m the same as I was before the series started, but I’m able to play…I don’t feel great, but I’m able to play,” he said after shootaround.
Getty
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 01: De'aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on April 01, 2026 in San Francisco, California.
The San Antonio Spurs evened up their Western Conference Finals series against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a win in Game 4 on Sunday night, but the team still isn’t at 100%. They are dealing with lingering injuries to several of their key players, with De’Aaron Fox perhaps the most notable star playing through pain.
Fox missed the first two games of the series for the Spurs, and while he returned in Game 3 from an ankle injury he suffered in the conference semifinals, the All-Star guard has acknowledged that he’s still not 100%.
While the Spurs won Game 4, Fox clearly isn’t at his peak form. Before the game, the 28-year-old acknowledged his lingering health concerns, which could become a growing issue if San Antonio has any chance of winning a championship this season.
GettyDe’aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs brings the ball up court against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half in Game Five of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Frost Bank Center on May 12, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
Fox played 31 minutes and recorded 12 points, ten rebounds, and five assists on 38.5% shooting in the Spurs’ 21-point win over the Thunder in Game 4. However, his recent quotes about his ankle injury remain a concern for San Antonio as they continue to give Oklahoma City their toughest test of the 2026 playoffs.
Fox described how he knows he isn’t 100% healthy, which became evident after a bump against Lu Dort on his ankle.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s definitely tough. I feel like (the Dort dive) was a play that could have been avoidable, but it is what it is,” Fox said to Sam Amick of The Athletic. “Obviously it is disappointing not being able to be 100 percent. But like I said, I’m able to be out there, so that’s all that matters to me right now.”
Fox had 15 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in Game 3, his first time playing after sitting out a week due to the ankle injury suffered against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He had a strong showing in that previous series, but against the Thunder, he hasn’t put in the same level of performance.
De’Aaron Fox clearly will be playing through pain again tonight.
“I’m the same as I was before the series started, but I’m able to play…I don’t feel great, but I’m able to play,” he said after shootaround.
“I don’t feel great, but I’m able to play,” Fox told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.
Fox’s averages are down through two games against the Thunder, and so far, he hasn’t been able to offer the same explosiveness to the basket as the ankle injury continues to impact his play. However, it hasn’t caused major downfall for the Spurs so far, as they have another rising point guard who is more than willing and capable of picking up the slack for Fox not being at 100%.
GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 20: Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the first quarter of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Two of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 20, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
When Fox missed the first two games of the WCF, it was rookie Dylan Harper who started in his place in what were just the fifth and sixth starts of his NBA career. Harper has shown promise throughout the season, but his record-breaking Game 1 outing proved he is ready to take on a bigger role next to Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama.
Harper started in Game 2, but was relegated back to the bench in Games 3 and 4 with Fox back. He hasn’t had the same statistical output in the past two games, but the potential of him becoming an All-Star and even a top option on a championship team in San Antonio is clear.
With that, the idea of the Spurs keeping Harper and turning him into their starting point guard for the future has only been growing over the past few weeks. It would almost certainly require them to trade Fox, and according to Amick, that thought is one shared around the league as potentially the smart move for San Antonio planning for the future.
“There’s already league-wide chatter about how his time here might be cut short,” Amick wrote. “The assertion, shared by rival executives and media folks alike, is that rookie guard Dylan Harper (the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft) is simply too good to come off the bench for long and will eventually need to start alongside second-year guard Stephon Castle (the No. 4 pick in 2024).”
For now, Fox is the starting point guard for the Spurs, even if his ankle injury is hampering his performance. However, Harper is waiting in the wings. As he’s already shown in the playoffs, if Fox’s injury continues to be an issue, San Antonio has a ready-made guard who can easily fill in.
But regardless of Fox’s future with the Spurs, his injury is what is their main concern. Harper has also been listed on the injury report, but if their usual point guard can’t stay healthy, especially if San Antonio beats Oklahoma City and goes to the Finals, his playing status could be in more question than ever.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。