The San Antonio Spurs have a real problem on their hands heading into Game 3. Dylan Harper, the Spurs' standout rookie guard, went down with a right leg injury late in the third quarter of Wednesday night's Game 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals.
Harper scored 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting across 25 minutes before exiting with 4:50 left in the period. Oklahoma City made the most of his absence, pulling away for a 122-113 win to even the series at one game apiece.
What made the moment harder to watch was what happened after. Harper came jogging out of the locker room toward the bench, seemingly ready to return. A member of the training staff stopped him before he reached his teammates. After a brief exchange, Harper dropped his head and turned back toward the locker room. He was done for the night.
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Dylan Harper Injury: Doctor Flags Hamstring Concern for Spurs
Now the bigger question is how long he'll be out. David J. Chao, a veteran NFL doctor who spent 16 years as head physician for the San Diego Chargers from 1997-2013 and has served on the Pro Bowl medical staff, weighed in after reviewing the play.
"By video, right hamstring strain on the take off. Likely to miss multiple games," Chao wrote on X.
That's a tough read for San Antonio. Losing Harper for an extended stretch would be a significant blow to a young Spurs team already fighting to stay competitive against one of the West's best.
Spurs Show Grit Despite OKC Win
The Game 2 result didn't tell the full story of how San Antonio competed Wednesday night. The Spurs kept fighting back, trimming the deficit multiple times and pulling level on several occasions.
With just over nine minutes left in the fourth, they cut it to 99-97 and had the building on edge. But turnovers kept costing them at the worst moments, and Oklahoma City had enough answers down the stretch to close it out comfortably.
San Antonio committed more than 20 turnovers in both road games, but still kept things close until late. With De'Aaron Fox potentially nearing a return, the Spurs have reason to feel good about what's ahead. The series shifts to San Antonio for Game 3 Friday night.
