How Will Spurs Adjust With De'Aaron Fox Out For Game 1 of Western Conference Finals?

Rookie Dylan Harper will start in place of the All-Star point guard as San Antonio visits Oklahoma City for their first Western Conference Finals game in almost a decade.

May 8, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'aaron Fox (4) dribbles past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) in the first half during game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Spurs have a golden opportunity to continue their meteoric rise in the Western Conference Finals, but they'll be without All-Star point guard De'Aaron Fox in Game 1.

Fox's right ankle got banged up multiple times in the Timberwolves series, and Fox said after limping to the locker room in Game 6 that it was the side of his ankle and he was alright.

"I expect De'Aaron and Luke (Kornet) to play if they can," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said before the game. "It's one of those deals where it's not going away for the longest we're playing. I don't believe, and I think they'll do everything. I know they'll do everything they can to play, and that's just where they're at."

Kornet, the backup big man who played big minutes in the early matchups with Oklahoma City, is available.

The Spurs won 62 regular-season games thanks in large part to the depth which allowed them to survive and even thrive when key players missed time. Those three wins in two weeks over the Thunder in December featured Victor Wembanyama coming off the bench as the team came together.

"I think our guys, our team are excited to step into the moment, and we've had a lot of opportunities this year that have brought upon a lot of different moments, and there's been some added excitement and attention to a lot of those moments, especially externally," Johnson said. "For our group it doesn't mean we won't make mistakes, it doesn't mean at times we won't be left to want to do better or more, but we are excited about stepping into those moments, those opportunities. I think it's a fun experience to go through with those guys."

The Spurs took care of business against Minnesota with big games from their young guards Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, and the rookie second overall pick Harper will get the start tonight in his mentor's place. The growth that those two have shown is one of the biggest reasons the Spurs are here now.

"I think we've gotten incrementally better since October, and so we've been incrementally improving since February, and I think that comes with, first I think we've been relatively healthy since that time, which has really helped, knock on wood," Johnson said.

Fox is a big loss for San Antonio, and they hope they'll get him back sooner rather than later. But the Spurs under Johnson have developed a selfless and relentless style of play that tends to shine through consistently regardless of the five players on the floor.

"The guys continue to put their energy in the right spots, and you got some really big, I believe, incremental individual improvements throughout the roster," Johnson said. "And then guys getting a better handle on the brand of basketball and the style of whether we want to play, and being able to grow some of that involvement by adding some nuance and details to that brand of basketball has allowed for some maybe spurts of growth."