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San Antonio Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said he expects injured guards De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper to both play Sunday night in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Frost Bank Center.
The Spurs trail the best-of-seven series 2-1 after Oklahoma City earned a 123-108 victory in Game 3 on Friday. San Antonio is hoping the return of both guards can help swing momentum back in its favor and prevent the Thunder from taking a commanding lead heading into Game 5.
Fox, a 2026 NBA All-Star, missed the first two games of the series because of a sprained right ankle suffered during the previous playoff round. He returned in Game 3 and finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes despite aggravating the injury during the second half. Johnson praised Fox’s toughness after the game, saying the veteran guard continues to fight through pain to remain on the floor for the Spurs.
Game 4 is a must win for the Spurs
During the regular season, Fox averaged 18.6 points per game for San Antonio and provided a steady scoring presence alongside franchise star Victor Wembanyama. He also averaged nearly seven assists after joining the Spurs, quickly becoming one of the team’s primary playmakers.
Harper, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the breakout rookies of the postseason. The 20-year-old guard scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and recorded six assists and seven steals in the Spurs’ Game 1 victory over Oklahoma City. He later suffered a hamstring and adductor issue during Game 2 but managed to play through discomfort in Game 3, contributing six points and valuable defensive minutes off the bench.
San Antonio will likely need stronger production from its backcourt to slow Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and even the series before it shifts back to Oklahoma City for Game 5.
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