Mitch Johnson reveals Spurs’ plans for Fox, Harper on Sunday

De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper are expected to be “ready to go” Sunday when the Spurs host the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said Saturday. 

Fox made his debut in the best-of-seven series in Friday night’s 123-108 loss that left the Thunder with a 2-1 lead after he missed the first two games with a sprained right ankle left over from the second-round series with Minnesota. The two-time All-Star re-injured the ankle late in the third quarter but returned in the fourth to finish with 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes.

Harper, like Fox, was a game-time decision Friday after suffering a right adductor injury that sent him to an early shower in the second half of Game 2. He finished Friday’s game with six points, three rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes.

“They finished the game on their own accord,” Johnson said. “I took them out (late in the fourth quarter), so that’s a plus, and as of now we expect them to be ready to go.”

The rest of the team and the coaching staff applauded the guards for playing through pain.

“Those guys are giving us all they got and I commend them, tip my cap because they’re competing their ass off and they’re not 100 percent,” Johnson said.  “And I would say that’s probably hopefully where we hope it to kind of be until it’s not.”