Spurs list Harper with ankle sprain

The San Antonio Spurs entered Game 3 of the Western Conference finals with fresh injury questions around two guards who had become central to the series. Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, had left Game 2 early after getting hurt while starting in place of De’Aaron Fox. Fox, meanwhile, had already missed the first two games of the series with a right ankle issue. By Friday, the Spurs were still sorting through both statuses. NBA.com’s team page listed Fox and Harper as questionable for Game 3, with Fox dealing with an ankle injury and Harper an adductor issue. Heavy, citing ESPN reporting, said Harper’s MRI showed an adductor injury rather than the hamstring concern that initially surfaced after Game 2. ### How did Harper’s injury become part of the series? Dylan Harper exited Game 2 on May 21 after suffering what the Spurs initially described only as a right leg injury, according to NBA.com. He had started in Fox’s place and scored 12 points in 25 minutes before leaving the 113-112 loss. Heavy reported on May 22 that Harper was set for an MRI after the injury and later said ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the scan showed an adductor injury. That mattered because Harper had taken on a larger ballhandling role with Fox sidelined. ### What was Fox’s status entering Game 3? De’Aaron Fox missed Game 1 and Game 2 of the series with right ankle soreness, according to NBA.com. MySanAntonio reported that Fox had hurt the ankle in the conference semifinals against Minnesota and had not been able to get through pregame work well enough to return for the opening two games against Oklahoma City. MySanAntonio also reported before Game 2 that Fox tried to test the ankle again, but the Spurs held him out. That left San Antonio leaning more heavily on Harper, Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama to initiate offense. ### Did Harper end up playing in Game 3? Heavy reported in a live update Friday night that the Spurs confirmed Harper would play in Game 3 after he went through pregame work. The same report said he had been considered a game-time decision earlier in the day. Heavy reported again after the game that Harper played through the injury but was still dealing with adductor soreness. The Spurs did not frame him as fully recovered. ### What happened in Game 3 without a full-strength backcourt? Oklahoma City beat San Antonio 123-108 on May 22 to take a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference finals, according to The Athletic and ESPN. ESPN said the Thunder got 76 points from their bench, the most by any team in a conference finals or NBA Finals game since starters were first tracked in 1971. The result shifted the pressure back onto San Antonio. Harper’s availability mattered because Fox’s health remained uncertain, and the Spurs were already trying to keep pace with a deeper Thunder rotation. ### What should readers watch before the next game? NBA.com’s Spurs schedule lists Game 4 for May 24 at 8 p.m. ET in San Antonio. The same team page showed Oklahoma City ahead 2-1 in the series after the Game 3 loss. Fox’s ankle status and Harper’s response to playing through the adductor injury are the two immediate questions before that game. San Antonio’s next official injury report and pregame availability update will provide the clearest signal on whether either guard faces restrictions.