OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Once again, San Antonio All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox tried to go through a pregame workout. And once again, his right ankle remained a problem.
Fox was ruled out of Game 2 of the Spurs' Western Conference finals series against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, the second consecutive game he has missed because of the ankle issue. The Spurs kept Dylan Harper in the starting lineup in his place.
The Spurs held out hope until about an hour before game time Wednesday that Fox could play, and coach Mitch Johnson — just as he did Monday — indicated that Fox's status will be a series of game-time decisions for the rest of the season. The team has not revealed what is causing the ankle soreness.
“It’ll be pretty status quo moving forward, I believe, regardless of if he plays in games or not,” Johnson said. “This’ll be just kind of the world we live in.”
Fox was an All-Star this season for the Spurs, averaging 18.6 points per game in the regular season — second on the team behind only Victor Wembanyama's 25 points per game.
Harper — who was named to the NBA's All-Rookie first team earlier Wednesday — was brilliant in the Spurs' Game 1 win, with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a team playoff record seven steals.
Harper, who turned 20 on March 2, is the second-youngest player to have appeared in this season's playoffs, behind only Minnesota's Joan Beringer and Phoenix's Khaman Maluach — both still just 19. Beringer and Maluach combined to score 24 points in this season's playoffs, matching the total that Harper had in Game 1 against the Thunder alone.
“He didn't just get this talented or this good,” Johnson said. “For him to buy into the role that was in front of him, for him to do what was asked and be held accountable and learn what it took and what we needed to win games and be a part of it — while probably suppressing some of his individual capabilities — is hard to do for a 19- to 20-year-old.
“For him to be able to do that and grow as a winning team player and then have his individual talent pop as well — it's hard to do in this league at any time. Doing it as a rookie in the playoffs is ridiculous.”
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San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates a score with guard De'aaron Fox (4) during the first half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball second-round playoffs series in Minneapolis, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
San Antonio Spurs guard De'aaron Fox (4) reacts after scoring against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball second-round playoffs series in Minneapolis, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
MOUNTAINAIR, N.M. (AP) — Three people are dead and more than a dozen first responders had to be quarantined and assessed Wednesday for possible exposure to an unidentified substance after being called to a suspected drug overdose at a rural New Mexico home, authorities said.
New Mexico State Police said three of the four people found unresponsive inside the home east of Albuquerque died. The fourth was being treated at a hospital in Albuquerque.
During the response, authorities said, first responders were exposed to the substance and began experiencing symptoms including nausea and dizziness.
Officials at University of New Mexico Hospital confirmed that 23 patients who were exposed to an unknown substance were assessed and decontaminated after being transported to the hospital. Most of those were first responders who were showing no symptoms and were later discharged.
Medical teams continued to monitor three symptomatic patients Wednesday evening, according to the hospital.
Two first responders were listed in serious condition, said Officer Wilson Silver with New Mexico State Police.
Mountainair EMS Chief Josh Lewis, who was the first to enter the residence, was hospitalized overnight for observation, Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto said in a social media post.
Also among those experiencing symptoms were EMTs from Torrance County and nurses from the University of New Mexico hospital who came into contact with individuals on scene, he said. The mayor added that public works crew had confirmed that the health issues were not related to carbon monoxide or natural gas exposure.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue Hazmat teams were assisting at the scene in Mountainair, a rural community east of Albuquerque, in efforts to identify the substance involved.
“At this time, investigators believe the substance may be transmitted through contact and do not believe it to be airborne,” Silver said.
As law enforcement officers from multiple agencies remained on the scene late Tuesday afternoon, three bodies were placed onto gurneys and then loaded into a white van and driven away.
Yellow police tape surrounded the home, located on a dirt road in a rural subdivision. A singlewide trailer could be seen in the home's backyard, with several cars, trucks and vans in the driveway.
While the investigation was ongoing, Silver said indications were pointing toward drugs as a possible factor in the deaths. He added that there was no threat to the public.
Residents, however, took to social media to voice their frustrations about drug use in the community and elsewhere. New Mexico had the fourth-highest rate of drug overdose deaths of any U.S. state in 2024, with 775 deaths, according to the most recent data available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The mayor said the town's law enforcement officers and first responders work every day to protect the community and respond to difficult situations.
“But the reality is that addiction and substance abuse are issues affecting communities all across our state and nation,” Nieto said. “There is no simple or immediate solution. Lasting change requires family support, accountability, education, and most importantly, individuals who are willing to accept help.”
Montoya Bryan reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Workers remove a body in Mountainair, N.M., Wednesday, May 20, 2026, after several people died and more than a dozen first responders were exposed to an unknown substance. (AP Photo/Savannah Peters)
New Mexico State Police respond to home in Mountainair, N.M., where authorities say several people died Wednesday, May 20, 2026, and more than a dozen first responders were exposed to an unknown substance and later treated at a hospital. (AP Photo/Savannah Peters)
The University of New Mexico Hospital is seen on July 25, 2025, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)
A New Mexico State Police vehicle blocks off a neighborhood in Mountainair, N.M., where authorities say several people died Wednesday, May 20, 2026, and more than a dozen first responders were exposed to an unknown substance and later treated at a hospital. (AP Photo/Savannah Peters)
FILE - A New Mexico State Police emblem is displayed on podium during a news conference, March 16, 2024, in Albuquerque, N.M. (Jon Austria/The Albuquerque Journal via AP, File)
