Dylan Harper’s mom shared a message on social media after the San Antonio Spurs guard left Game 2 of the Spurs Western Conference finals series against the Oklahoma City Thunder with an injury scare.
During the third quarter of the game, Harper landed awkwardly on a layup attempt and grabbed his leg in pain. He checked out of the game and headed to the locker room moments later. The Spurs did not provide any details on Harper’s injury beyond it being an issue with his right leg.
Following Harper’s injury scare, Maria Harper shared a message on her Instagram story.
“A lifetime of work,” she wrote.
Speaking after the game, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson addressed Harper’s injury.
“I have not had an update,” he told the media. “I just know he went out when he took an awkward landing — I don’t know if I guess he fell — but that awkward landing and I just heard he wasn’t coming back. I haven’t gotten an update yet.”
ESPN’s Michael C. Wright reported that Dylan Harper will undergo an MRI on Thursday. Harper’s injury comes at a difficult time for the Spurs as starting guard De’Aaron Fox also missed Game 2 of the conference finals with an ankle injury.
After he exited the game, the Thunder went on multiple runs in the final minutes, winning 122-113 to tie the series at 1-1. Stephon Castle led the scoring for San Antonio, finishing with 25 points, five rebounds and eight assists.
Wembanyama recorded 21 points, 17 rebounds and six assists. Harper finished with 12 points, two rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes. The Thunder were led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who recorded 30 points and nine assists in the win.
Dylan Harper is having a record-breaking playoff run with the San Antonio Spurs
Harper was selected to the All-Rookie First Team on Wednesday after playing 69 games in the regular season. He averaged 11.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, shooting 50.5%, including 34.3% from 3-point range, while primarily coming off the bench.
Beyond his regular-season performance, Harper has quickly grown into a key member of Mitch Johnson’s rotation in the playoffs. He has played 13 postseason games, starting two, averaging 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals, shooting 53.5%. His efficient two-way play has seen Johnson call on him time and again in the playoffs.
Harper has rewarded the coach’s trust with some record-breaking performances. He finished Game 1 of the Conference finals with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals. This made him the youngest player to record a 20-point, 10-rebound game in the Conference finals. He also set the Spurs franchise record with seven steals.
Harper finished Game 3 of the first round against the Portland Trail Blazers with 27 points, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score more than 25 points in a playoff game. The record was previously held by Kobe Bryant.
Read More: Dylan Harper Makes NBA Playoff History vs Thunder as Dad Ron Harper Silences Critics
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