The exact moment Spurs denied Dylan Harper from injury return is sad to watch

The San Antonio Spurs won Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a double-overtime battle that will be remembered for a long time, but the injury bug has already sank its teeth into the team during the Western Conference Finals. De’Aaron Fox has been inactive in both of the Spurs’ WCF games because of an ankle injury, and his backcourt running mate, Dylan Harper, was forced to come out of Game 2 because of a leg injury.

While fighting for a rebound against Chet Holmgren, Harper landed awkwardly and was sent to the locker room. Holmgren was assessed a foul, and Harper never returned to action. The number two overall pick did try to return, but San Antonio’s coaching staff wasn’t having it and sent him back for more treatment. The rookie has proven himself as the ultimate competitor, and he seemed noticeably frustrated by the decision.

Dylan Harper came running out the locker room ready to return to the game and was instantly sent back

Harper was visibly frustrated pic.twitter.com/xv4vHh7q54

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) May 21, 2026

The good news is that Harper’s desire to come back into the game might prove that he doesn’t have a significant injury. The hope is that both he and Fox will be able to return to action for Game 3. Fox was a game-time decision ahead of the game that San Antonio would end up losing.

The Spurs have proven that they can beat the Thunder. They went 4-1 against them in the regular season before they won Game 1, but the Thunder do have better depth, so San Antonio has to hope this series won’t become a battle of attrition.

The post The exact moment Spurs denied Dylan Harper from injury return is sad to watch appeared first on ClutchPoints.