05/20/26 07:02:00
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05/20 19:01 CDT Spurs' De'Aaron Fox out of Game 2 of West finals against
Thunder with ankle issue
Spurs' De'Aaron Fox out of Game 2 of West finals against Thunder with ankle
issue
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) --- Once again, San Antonio All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox
tried to go through a pregame workout. And once again, his right ankle remained
a problem.
Fox was ruled out of Game 2 of the Spurs' Western Conference finals series
against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, the second consecutive
game he has missed because of the ankle issue. The Spurs were expected to keep
Dylan Harper in the starting lineup in his place.
The Spurs held out hope until about an hour before game time Wednesday that Fox
could play, and coach Mitch Johnson --- just as he did Monday --- indicated
that Fox's status will be a series of game-time decisions for the rest of the
season. The team has not revealed what is causing the ankle soreness.
"It'll be pretty status quo moving forward, I believe, regardless of if he
plays in games or not," Johnson said. "This'll be just kind of the world we
live in."
Fox was an All-Star this season for the Spurs, averaging 18.6 points per game
in the regular season --- second on the team behind only Victor Wembanyama's 25
points per game.
Harper --- who was named to the NBA's All-Rookie first team earlier Wednesday
--- was brilliant in the Spurs' Game 1 win, with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six
assists and a team playoff record seven steals.
Harper, who turned 20 on March 2, is the second-youngest player to have
appeared in this season's playoffs, behind only Minnesota's Joan Beringer and
Phoenix's Khaman Maluach --- both still just 19. Beringer and Maluach combined
to score 24 points in this season's playoffs, matching the total that Harper
had in Game 1 against the Thunder alone.
"He didn't just get this talented or this good," Johnson said. "For him to buy
into the role that was in front of him, for him to do what was asked and be
held accountable and learn what it took and what we needed to win games and be
a part of it --- while probably suppressing some of his individual capabilities
--- is hard to do for a 19- to 20-year-old.
"For him to be able to do that and grow as a winning team player and then have
his individual talent pop as well --- it's hard to do in this league at any
time. Doing it as a rookie in the playoffs is ridiculous."
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
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