Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox (ankle) out again for Game 2 vs. Thunder
San Antonio Spurs beginning guard De’Aaron Fox is sitting out his second consecutive recreation Wednesday night time in opposition to the (*2*) due to a proper excessive ankle sprain.
Fox suffered the damage in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals in opposition to the Timberwolves when Minnesota guard Ayo Dosunmu landed on Fox’s ankle whereas diving for a free ball.
Fox completed Game 4 and performed in Games 5 and 6 because the Spurs closed out the collection. But he sat out Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in opposition to the Thunder on Monday night time.
On Wednesday, Fox again tried to undergo a pregame exercise however his ankle remained an issue. The Spurs had held out hope till about an hour earlier than recreation time that Fox may play, and coach Mitch Johnson — simply as he did Monday — indicated that Fox’s standing can be a collection of game-time choices for the remainder of the season.
“It’ll be pretty status quo moving forward, I believe, regardless of whether he plays in games or not,” Johnson mentioned. “This’ll be just kind of the world we live in.”
A nine-year veteran, Fox is averaging 18.8 factors, 5.8 assists and three.5 rebounds within the playoffs after averaging 18.6 factors, 6.2 assists and three.8 rebounds throughout the common season.
Before the West finals, Fox hadn’t sat out a recreation since March 25 and began 72 video games throughout the common season. The Spurs entered Wednesday with an 8-3 document with out Fox this season.
The Spurs stored Dylan Harper within the beginning lineup in his place.
Harper — who was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie first team Wednesday — was sensible within the Spurs’ Game 1 win, with 24 factors, 11 rebounds, six assists and a group playoff document seven steals.
Harper, who turned 20 on March 2, is the second-youngest participant to have appeared on this season’s playoffs, behind solely Minnesota’s Joan Beringer and Phoenix’s Khaman Maluach — each nonetheless simply 19. Beringer and Maluach mixed to attain 24 factors on this season’s playoffs, matching the whole that Harper had in Game 1 in opposition to the Thunder alone.
“He didn’t just get this talented or this good,” Johnson mentioned. “For him to buy into the role that was in front of him, for him to do what he 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 have the ability to do this and develop as a successful group participant after which have his particular person expertise pop as nicely — it is exhausting to do on this league at any time. Doing it as a rookie within the playoffs is ridiculous.”
ESPN’s Michael C. Wright and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
