The San Antonio Spurs are being mysterious about the injury that Dylan Harper sustained during Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
According to insider Jacob Tobey, the Spurs are not specifying the nature of the injury beyond calling it a “leg injury,” amid chatter that the rookie guard may have suffered a hamstring strain.
“Dylan Harper leaving this game in the third quarter with a leg injury — not exactly sure what it is,” the Spurs’ TV play-by-play announcer said after the game. “The Spurs did not specify, but that right leg [is] a problem for Dylan when he tried to go inside against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He left for the locker room and did not return.”
Spurs insider Dusty Garza shared a clip of Tobey’s report and added his two cents.
“The Spurs are being very mysterious again,” he wrote on X.
“They still are not specifying exactly what Dylan Harper injured beyond calling it a “leg injury.” What’s at least somewhat encouraging is that after heading to the locker room, Harper DID attempt to return before ultimately being turned back by staff.
“Usually that suggests the injury may not be viewed internally as catastrophic, but obviously everyone will be anxiously waiting for more clarity.”
Dylan Harper Injury Update
For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Michael C. Wright noted, via his sources, that Harper suffered a “right hamstring injury” and will undergo an MRI on Thursday.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson did not provide an update on Harper’s status for Friday’s Game 3.
“[Oklahoma City] is as good as anybody,” Johnson said of Harper’s injury. “They turn you over. So, when you’re down some of your primary creators and initiators, it causes a little bit of an extra strain, whether that’s who to play, what to play, what to run, etc. It’s tough fully loaded against these guys.”
The Dylan Harper injury comes at a devastating time for the Spurs when they’re already dealing with an injury to All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox, who missed the first two games of the Western Conference Finals with a right ankle sprain.
Spurs Drop Game 2 vs Thunder
Harper, starting in his second postseason game, sustained his injury during the 4:50 mark of the third quarter of the Spurs’ 122-113 loss to the Thunder.
If both Harper and Fox are unavailable for Game 3, the Spurs could be in a deep hole, given Stephon Castle’s turnover issues. The second-year guard has committed a staggering 20 turnovers through the first two games of the series — the most in a two-game span by a player in playoff history, according to ESPN Research. As a team, the Spurs have committed 44 turnovers, leading to 55 Thunder points.
The Spurs, though, remain confident that Castle can carry ball-handling duties if Fox and Harper are unable to go for Game 3.
“Steph is a dog,” Keldon Johnson said of Castle.
“He’ll figure it out. We support him every step of the way. [He] turned the ball over. We all turn the ball over. It’s not just on Steph.”
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