The San Antonio Spurs expect All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox to be available for Game 2 of the Western Conference finals after he missed Monday’s double-overtime opener in Oklahoma City, according to sources cited by Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
San Antonio survived without its floor general, edging the defending champion Thunder by seven points to take a 1-0 series lead. Rookie guard Dylan Harper, last year’s No. 2 overall draft pick, started in Fox’s spot and delivered 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals across 47 minutes.
The NBA noted that Harper became just the second rookie since steals were officially tracked in 1973-74 to post at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals in a playoff game, joining Magic Johnson’s 1980 performance.
Victor Wembanyama powered the victory with 41 points, 24 rebounds, three assists and three blocks over 49 minutes. The 22-year-old joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to record 40-plus points and 20-plus rebounds in their conference-finals debuts. Wembanyama finished a game-best plus-16 and said he was fueled by seeing Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander receive his second consecutive MVP trophy before tip-off.
“I want to get that trophy,” said Wembanyama, who placed third in this season’s MVP voting. The French center acknowledged his heavy workload left him fatigued but added, “We’ll rest in July” if the Spurs achieve their championship goal.
Source: Hoops Rumors
