Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and Thunder is set for Wednesday night with high stakes for both teams.
- The Spurs are weighing a key decision on whether to play their All-Star point guard, De'Aaron Fox, who has been sidelined by an ankle issue.
- A return could shift the offensive balance for San Antonio, easing the heavy workload on their young guards.
Game 1 of the 2026 Western Conference Finals left NBA fans buzzing to the point where immediate discussions emerged on whether it was one of the best games in the history of the league. Victor Wembanyama led the San Antonio Spurs to an upset win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in double-overtime, headlined by an iconic shot to tie the game in the first overtime period and transcendent defense throughout the contest. On the other side, the Thunder are licking their wounds after a game in which they lost home-court advantage and, at least to some extent, "let one get away" with their late-game execution.
The follow-up arrives on Wednesday evening with Game 2 in Oklahoma City and, simply put, it is a high-pressure situation for the reigning champion Thunder. However, there is a point of personnel intrigue on the other side of the matchup, and it involves All-Star point guard De'Aaron Fox. Notably, Fox was absent from Game 1 with a right ankle injury, leaving Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper to man the guard position for San Antonio.
The Spurs are perhaps better suited to withstand the absence of a player like Fox than any team in the league, but Fox's absence did lead to a heavy workload for both young guards and a thinner set of overall options for Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson.
Will De'Aaron Fox be available for Game 2 against the Thunder?
As of Wednesday morning, Fox is listed as questionable for the game with "right ankle soreness." That listing lends itself to some degree of uncertainty, though Marc Spears of Andscape did report that the Spurs are approaching Game 2 with optimism that Fox will return to action.
It is fair to note that Fox is not as central to San Antonio's overall equation as he would be in many places, simply due to the presence of Castle and Harper. Castle had a shaky Game 1 performance that included a whopping 11 turnovers, but he is a high-level two-way guard that is comfortable at the point of attack. Harper, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is flashing the superstar upside that made him a coveted draft piece. That includes a 24-point, 11-rebound, 6-assist, 7-steal performance in Game 1 that would have been the lead story if not for Wembanyama's own brilliance.
San Antonio Spurs projected starting lineup without De’Aaron Fox
STARTER | POSITION | BENCH |
|---|---|---|
Dylan Harper | PG | Harper/Castle |
Stephon Castle | SG | Carter Bryant |
Devin Vassell | SF | Harrison Barnes |
Julian Champagnie | PF | Keldon Johnson |
Victor Wembanyama | C | Luke Kornet/Kelly Olynyk |
Still, Fox does provide San Antonio with a third ball-handling option, and the two-time All-Star averaged 18.6 points and 6.2 assists per game in 72 appearances this season. Castle (49 minutes) and Harper (47 minutes) were highly taxed in the series opener, and without another guard to lean on, there were moments in which the Spurs did bog down on the offensive end. Fox can clearly provide another offensive outlet, both with his creation and ability to knock down tough shots late in the clock.
While nothing is a true "must-win" situation in Game 2 of a best-of-seven series, one of the closer facsimiles to that is the home team attempting to avoid an 0-2 hole against a tremendously talented team like San Antonio. That is the situation that Oklahoma City faces and, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren aim to bounce back from suboptiomal performances in Game 1, they might face a Spurs team that is back to full strength if Fox can return.
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