Spurs get – De’Aaron Fox returned in Game 3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder but aggravated a high right ankle sprain, and the Spurs fell 123-108. Now, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson says Fox and guard Dylan Harper are expected to play in Sunday night’s Game 4.
The Spurs built a lead the way you do when the playoffs feel like they might finally break your way—quickly, decisively, and without hesitation.
In Game 3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio opened with a dominant 15-0 run. It didn’t last. The Thunder bench took over, and the Spurs were eventually overwhelmed in a 123-108 loss.
After the game. De’Aaron Fox described the momentum swings in a way that sounded less like strategy and more like disbelief. “It’s a long game,” Fox said. “It’s hard to sustain something like that, especially for a full 48 minutes. But when you see the lead kind of dwindle. it’s something that’s like. ‘Damn. we got this lead. and it went away so quickly.’”.
Fox’s night came with an injury complication. He aggravated the high right ankle sprain that kept him out of the first two games of the series late in Friday’s contest. The sprain was a headline before this matchup, and it stayed one afterward—because a return doesn’t automatically mean stability.
Still, there was relief ahead of Game 4. Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said Fox and guard Dylan Harper are expected to play in Sunday night’s game. Dylan Harper, listed with an adductor issue, is also expected to be available.
Game 4 between the Spurs and Thunder is set to tip off at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, and it will also stream on Peacock.
The sequence from Game 3 to Game 4 is now set by two things at once: a lead that evaporated faster than the Spurs could adjust, and a lineup question that has at least temporarily answered itself with Fox and Harper expected back.
San Antonio Spurs Oklahoma City Thunder De'Aaron Fox Dylan Harper Game 4 high right ankle sprain adductor Mitch Johnson
Expected to play means they’re fine, right? Spurs should just steamroll Game 4.
I hate when people say “expected” like that doesn’t mean anything. If Fox aggravated it again, that ankle is gonna be the whole story.
Game 3 they had that 15-0 run and then it all went away… so it’s basically a stamina thing? like 48 minutes is too long for the Spurs, idk. Hopefully Harper being back fixes the bench whatever.
NBC and Peacock?? That means I’ll forget it’s on until it’s already halftime. Also why are they even saying “adductor issue” like normal people talk like that, just say he hurt.