Dylan Harper is a game-time decision for Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder after an MRI revealed an adductor injury. The Spurs are also still without De’Aaron Fox as the series is tied 2-2.
Dylan Harper’s next step is coming fast—before the San Antonio Spurs even tip off for Game 3.
The 20-year-old rookie is listed as a game-time decision after an MRI showed an adductor injury, not a hamstring, with the update coming from ESPN’s Shams Charania on Friday. Harper is expected to go through his pre-game routine first, and then the Spurs will decide whether he can play.
It’s a swing moment for a Spurs backcourt that has already had to adjust. Harper’s night ended early in Game 2 after he took two awkward falls about a minute apart in the third quarter. He was ruled out not long afterward. and Spurs coach Mitch Johnson didn’t have an update on him following San Antonio’s loss.
That defeat tied the series at 2-2, putting extra pressure on every decision as Game 3 arrives.
The stakes are heightened because Harper hasn’t simply been a supporting piece this postseason. In his first season. the six-foot-five guard averaged 11.8 points. 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists. earning a fourth-place finish in Rookie of the Year voting. In the playoffs, he’s raised his level to 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals.
His impact was on full display in San Antonio’s Game 1 win. Harper delivered 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a team playoff record seven steals.
Even if Harper does play, the Spurs remain short-handed elsewhere. De’Aaron Fox—an all-star guard—has missed the first two games of the series with a right ankle sprain.
For the Spurs, Game 3 isn’t just about whether they can solve the Thunder. It’s about keeping their momentum intact while waiting on whether Harper’s pre-game routine clears the biggest hurdle of his injury report.
Game 3 tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT on Friday night.
Spurs Dylan Harper Oklahoma City Thunder Game 3 Western Conference Finals adductor injury De'Aaron Fox right ankle sprain series tied 2-2