The San Antonio Spurs have built something real this season. Sixty-two regular-season wins, a second-place finish in the West behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder, and a roster that no longer leans entirely on Victor Wembanyama to get things done.
A major part of that balance has been De’Aaron Fox, who arrived from Sacramento and immediately took on one of the harder jobs in the league. Running the offense alongside Wembanyama while keeping defenses from collapsing on the young star every possession.
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Now, with San Antonio and the Minnesota Timberwolves deadlocked at 2-2 in the Western Conference Semifinals, Fox’s availability for the most important game of their season is in doubt.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley competes for the ball with San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron FoxBruce Kluckhohn-Imagn ImagesFox Listed as Questionable for Game 5
The Spurs, per ESPN’s Marc Stein, listed Fox as questionable for Tuesday’s Game 5 with left ankle soreness. He hasn’t missed a game since March 25, so this is a fresh concern heading into a must-win situation.
If he can’t go, Dylan Harper and Keldon Johnson would likely pick up the slack in his absence. Through four games in this series, Fox has averaged 16.8 points, 4.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 32.8 minutes per game.
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Wembanyama Cleared for Game 5
San Antonio did get some good news on Monday. Wembanyama was ejected from Game 4 after officials upgraded a foul on Naz Reid to a Flagrant 2 following a video review. During a rebounding sequence, Wembanyama caught Reid in the jaw and neck area with an elbow, sending the Timberwolves forward to the floor.
Referee Zach Zarba announced the ruling with 8:39 left in the second quarter, triggering the automatic ejection. The loss without their star center went badly, with Minnesota winning 114-109 to even the series.
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But according to Shams Charania, Wembanyama will not face any further discipline and is expected to be available for Game 5.
The Spurs now need both men on the floor Tuesday. Losing either one in a deciding game against Minnesota changes the equation significantly.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.