De'Aaron Fox missed his second straight game Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of a right high ankle sprain, and the Spurs held out hope until about an hour before tipoff that their leading guard could return. Fox tried to go through a pregame workout, but the ankle was still a problem, leaving Mitch Johnson to treat his status as a nightly decision for the rest of the series.
Johnson said Fox's availability will remain a series of game-time calls for the rest of the season. “This'll be just kind of the world we live in,” he said, adding that it would be “pretty status quo moving forward” whether Fox plays or not. The Spurs can absorb the loss better than most teams. They entered Wednesday with an 8-3 record without him this season, and they had already kept Dylan Harper in the starting lineup in Fox's place.
Fox's injury dates back to Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against Minnesota, when Ayo Dosunmu landed on his ankle while diving for a loose ball. Fox finished that game, then played in Games 5 and 6 as San Antonio closed out the series. He also sat out Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Monday night, ending a run of near-constant availability that had stretched back to March 25. Before the West finals, the nine-year veteran had not missed a game since then, and he started 72 games during the regular season.
The numbers show why his absence matters. Fox was averaging 18.8 points, 5.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds in the playoffs, after putting up 18.6 points, 6.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds during the regular season. Even with the injury, San Antonio has found ways to stay balanced, but the margin gets thinner against Oklahoma City. Harper, who turned 20 on March 2, stayed in the first unit and drew fresh attention after being named to the NBA's All-Rookie first team on Wednesday.
Johnson did not hold back in describing what Harper has already handled. “He didn't just get this talented or this good,” he said, crediting the rookie for buying into a role, taking accountability and learning what it takes to help win while suppressing some of his own game. Harper, the second-youngest player to appear in this season's playoffs behind 19-year-olds Joan Beringer of Minnesota and Khaman Maluach of Phoenix, delivered 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a team playoff record seven steals in the Spurs' Game 1 win. He also scored 24 points in Game 1 against the Thunder, a performance that helped explain why San Antonio has trusted him in a bigger role while Fox heals.
For now, the Spurs are living with a rotation that can change by the hour and a star guard whose return depends on how his ankle responds when the game gets close. If Fox cannot push through it, Johnson's plan will keep leaning on Harper and the group that has already proven it can win without him. If he can, San Antonio gets back a veteran scorer who has been central to its playoff run since the injury first hit in Minnesota.
