Through two games, the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder have lived up to expectations in the Western Conference finals. Both contests have been decided by fewer than double-digit points, with Game 1 going into double overtime to determine a winner.
Given the high number of minutes in the series already and the intense level of play, both teams head into Game 3 on Friday dealing with potentially significant injuries.
Advertisement
For the Spurs, those injuries include star rookie Dylan Harper, who was considered a game-time decision after sustaining an adductor injury in Game 2, and De’Aaron Fox, who has yet to play in the series due to an ankle injury. But both Spurs, who entered the game as questionable to play on the injury report, are now cleared for Game 3, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Fox, who has missed the first two games of the series, was able to put up some shots in shootaround ahead of Friday’s game.
On the Thunder side, Jalen Williams was forced out of Game 2 due to a hamstring injury, and will now miss Game 3, per Charania.
The star guard was plagued by a hamstring issue coming into the series, but was able to play over 37 minutes during the team’s double-overtime loss in Game 1. Williams lasted just over seven minutes in Game 2 before leaving with a hamstring issue. He was later spotted on the broadcast with an ice wrap around his left hamstring.
Advertisement
Despite the injury, Williams was originally listed as day-to-day and was also questionable entering Game 3.
Given how tight the series has been thus far, the absence of any of those three players could drastically affect the outcome of the Western Conference finals. Both Harper and Williams already made their presence known in Game 1, when both players dropped over 20 points. Fox has yet to play against the Thunder, but is averaging 18.8 points in 11 playoff games this season.