The Spurs are attempting the difficult feat of beating the reigning champions while their primary and secondary point guards are battling through leg injuries. The good news is that both Fox and Harper are expected to be available to play in Game 4 on Sunday, ESPN’s Tim McMahon notes (via Twitter).
De’Aaron Fox returned from his high ankle sprain for Game 3, but clearly wasn’t moving as well as usual, writes Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. Dylan Harper, who injured his adductor in the third quarter of Game 2, seemed similarly limited, finishing Game 3 with just six points on seven shots, far less than the 15.5 points he’d been averaging in his previous 11 games.
To make matters worse, Fox came up hobbling in the third quarter after Luguentz Dort fell onto his ankle while diving for a loose ball. He was able to finish the game despite the scare.
“Once the pain subsides for a little bit, I felt like I was fine,” he said. “I was able to move a little bit, so I wanted to still be out there.”
We have more notes from the Spurs:
- Victor Wembanyama is challenging conventional wisdom about how experience trumps young talent in the playoffs, writes ESPN’s Ben Golliver. At just 22 years old, he’s been perhaps the best player in the 2026 playoffs. However, he knows there’s more he can do to get the Spurs back on track after losing back-to-back games to the Thunder, their first consecutive losses since January. He says it starts with him being a better team player, Michael C. Wright writes for ESPN. “I feel like I’m having trouble making my teammates better right now,” Wembanyama said. “My shooting splits aren’t terrible. I need to be more of a team player, facilitate better, rebound the ball better, push their defense a little bit further and see how much they need to help with my teammates and [then] feed them.“
- One area of the game that coach Mitch Johnson is focused on improving is keeping the Thunder off the free-throw line, a spot the Thunder hurt them in Game 3, Orsborn writes. Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with 12 free-throw attempts, and Johnson was unhappy with how many of those were self-inflicted. “I think probably half of them were from us being undisciplined first off the floor,” Johnson said. “He got us out of position and took advantage of it. I can’t remember how he got all 12 free throws, but I know a few of them were pretty good defense it felt like up until that point.“
- Wembanyama says Game 4 will be a good measuring stick game, both for himself and the team, writes Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. The Defensive Player of the Year noted that this series is a new experience for most of the players on the roster and that everyone can be better. “It was the first playoffs for many of us,” he said. “Of course, there was going to be hard trials. It is to be expected. But now, we’re going to see what we’re made of.” Johnson noted that the team has to adjust its attacking approach, since it spent the season having Harper, Fox, and Stephon Castle attack the advantages drawn by Wembanyama’s presence, a play style that’s difficult to maintain with two of the three guards hurt, per Jeff McDonald of the Express-News (via Twitter).
I hope the Spurs are able to pull it off. Unfortunately, between OKC and the Knicks I can’t handle all the flopping and won’t be watching.
Yeah I’m with you. Haven’t watched a single okc playoff game. Do what they want one end, ticky tack crap at the other. I’m not into that, I’m sure wemby knows what I’m talking about.
That charge from Brunson the other day was quite incredible and special in its own way too.