De’Aaron Fox posts 14/7/7 line vs. Oklahoma City

Jeff McDonald also reported that coach Mitch Johnson intends to use this starting lineup on Tuesday against the Thunder. The Spurs will use their three guard lineup with Champagnie and Harris coming off the bench. We’ll see if the starting lineup sticks that way beyond this upcoming Tuesday, but you can feel good to draft Vassell to stream him in on opening night.

Wednesday’s exhibition was the first of the preseason for Fox, who logged 19 minutes against the Suns. While he struggled during the NBA Finals, the Spurs’ point guard is locked into that role going into the 2026-27 season. Fox may not be a top-50 fantasy player, but he remains valuable to managers willing to punt free-throw percentage.

Fox’s first NBA Finals appearance is one that should, in theory, motivate him for years to come, as he struggled for most of the series. The miscues late in Game 4 were followed by a subpar performance in Game 5, and down the stretch, the Spurs would have been better off relying on Dylan Harper. Regarding fantasy basketball, Fox can provide reliable top-75 value, but his ceiling is limited on this Spurs roster. It’s worth noting that Fox’s extension, worth nearly $222 million over four years, goes into effect next season. While the Spurs may not have to make a decision immediately, there will come a point when they need to play Harper and Stephon Castle. Stay tuned.

After seemingly figuring things out by scoring 20 points in Game 2 following a rough Game 1 and subpar series against the Thunder, Fox’s struggles returned in this game. However, he was able to make some plays down the stretch, including a mid-range jumper with 12 seconds left to give the Spurs a five-point lead. They were able to hold on and get their first win of the series. Fox needs to be much better than he has been, so hopefully the 2023 Clutch Player of the Year hitting a big shot late will provide him some momentum moving forward.

After shooting 2-of-15 from three in the first six games of the Western Conference Finals, Fox shot 3-of-7 in Game 7. In total, seven Spurs scored in double figures, with the balanced effort being enough to counter Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who put up a game-high 35 points. Fox will now make his first NBA Finals appearance, with the Spurs hosting the Knicks in Game 1 on Wednesday.

Fox missed the first two games of the series with an ankle injury and hasn’t looked 100 percent since returning. While he’s played through injury, his point totals and field goal percentages have declined in all four games he’s played in this series. Fox had 15 points in Game 3, 12 in Game 4, nine in Game 5 and five in Game 6. He’ll likely need to break this trend and score more than five points in Game 7 on Saturday if the Spurs are going to advance to the NBA Finals.

While he still has not looked 100 percent after returning from a sprained right ankle that sidelined him for Games 1 and 2, Fox’s presence on the court has paid dividends. Stephon Castle totaled two turnovers in Games 3 and 4 after committing 20 in the first two games, and Fox contributed a game-high 10 rebounds on Sunday. Victor Wembanyama’s dominance and the Spurs’ defense were the stories of Sunday’s blowout victory. Still, Fox’s return is one reason why San Antonio has a realistic shot at dethroning the reigning champs. Game 5 is on Tuesday night.

Both players are at less than 100 percent, but expected to play, according to Johnson. This comes as no surprise. Both Fox and Harper played in Game 3, which was the first game of the series for Fox. Now with the Spurs trying to avoid falling behind 3-1 in the series, both players appear set to continue to play through injury.

Fox returned after missing the first two games of the series with an ankle injury. He had a good game with 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Fox was +9 in 31 minutes despite the Spurs losing by 15 points. His three-point shot was off, though, as he went 1-of-6 from behind the arc. Fox and the Spurs will look to even the series in Game 4 on Sunday.

Fox is back after missing the first two games of the series with an ankle injury. Dylan Harper, who had 24 points in the Spurs’ Game 1 victory, will head back to the bench. There were no other changes to the Spurs’ lineup for Game 3.