The San Antonio Spurs had to start the Western Conference Finals without one of their most important players. De’Aaron Fox was ruled out of Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder with right ankle soreness, a significant blow for a team that needed every piece available.
Then they went out and won the game in double overtime anyway, with Victor Wembanyama putting up 41 points and 24 rebounds and rookie Dylan Harper turning in a 24-11-6-7 line that has not been seen from a rookie since Magic Johnson in 1980. The Spurs walked out of Oklahoma City with the kind of statement win that travels.
Now the question is whether Fox will be back in time for Game 2, and what his absence has done to the Spurs’ overall plans for this series.
What Happened to Fox
The Spurs have not given a long-term timeline for Fox’s recovery. The team listed him as out for Game 1 specifically because of right ankle soreness, suggesting they are taking a precautionary approach. Ankle soreness in the middle of a postseason can be a one-day issue or a multi-week problem depending on how the affected joint responds to treatment.
San Antonio fans should not panic yet. The Spurs have been cautious with Fox all season, partly because they understand his value and partly because he is the kind of guard whose explosiveness suffers immediately whenever his lower body is compromised. Bringing him back too soon could turn a one-game absence into a multi-week recovery.
How the Spurs Adjusted
Head coach Gregg Popovich went small and let Wembanyama operate as the offensive hub against Oklahoma City. Harper stepped into a larger role as a secondary playmaker and delivered the kind of performance that makes the Spurs look like a long-term contender. Together, Wembanyama and Harper produced enough firepower to overcome the absence of their starting point guard.
The double-overtime nature of the win is the part that matters. The Spurs had multiple chances to fold and never did. They closed out the game with the kind of defensive intensity and execution that elite teams display in elimination games, not Game 1s of a conference final.
What This Means for the Series
The Spurs took a 1-0 series lead without their starting point guard. That should terrify the rest of the Western Conference. If Fox returns at any point during this series, even at less than 100 percent, San Antonio gets a creator and shot-maker who can run the offense without forcing Wembanyama into ball-handling duties.
The Thunder, meanwhile, just had Jalen Williams cleared for Game 1 and still lost. Oklahoma City has the back-to-back MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the title pedigree, and the depth advantage. They also have a 1-0 hole and a Spurs team that does not feel like an underdog anymore.
The Path Forward
The Spurs will reevaluate Fox’s status before Game 2. If he is ready to go, the series shifts dramatically in San Antonio’s favor. If he is not, Harper will get another chance to prove his Game 1 performance was not a one-off, and Wembanyama will be expected to anchor the offense again.
Either way, Game 1 already proved one thing. The Spurs are not going home quietly. They might not be going home at all. And the Thunder, the team most people expected to roll through this round, suddenly have a real series on their hands.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
