Harper started the first two games of this series in place of De'Aaron Fox (ankle). However, Fox has been cleared to suit up for Game 3 and will reclaim his place in the starting lineup. Still, Harper is expected to lead the bench in minutes, assuming he's healthy enough to do so after exiting and not returning to Game 2 on Wednesday.
With Jalen Williams (hamstring) sidelined, Mitchell will return to the first unit in San Antonio. Over six starts this postseason, the second-year guard has averaged 21.2 points, 5.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 31.2 minutes per contest.
The rookie guard started the first two games of the series in place of De'Aaron Fox (ankle). Harper had 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals in Game 1. While the rookie played well in Game 2, he didn't finish the contest due to injury. With Fox available Friday, Harper will presumably head back to the bench, although he should still see plenty of minutes, assuming he is healthy enough for a full workload.
Fox missed the first two games of the series due to a lingering right ankle issue, though he'll return to action in San Antonio as the club looks to take a 2-1 series lead. Over 11 appearances this postseason, the star guard has averaged 18.8 points, 5.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 33.3 minutes per showing. His return will likely result in Dylan Harper, who's been cleared to play through a hip injury, moving back to the second unit.
Williams was listed as questionable heading into this contest, although he wasn't expected to play. His next opportunity to get back on the floor will be when these clubs meet for Game 4 on Sunday. With Williams sidelined Friday, Ajay Mitchell or Cason Wallace might earn the start, with Jared McCain and Isaiah Joe in line to see more work from the bench.
Although Williams is listed as questionable, he's trending in the wrong direction. He continues to be bothered by a hamstring issue after tweaking it in Game 2. If he's unable to play, the Thunder will likely lean more on Isaiah Joe, Jared McCain and Ajay Mitchell.
Harper suffered the injury during Wednesday's Game 2 and is officially questionable to play, but the Spurs will re-evaluate his status following warmups. De'Aaron Fox (ankle) is also questionable for the Spurs, so the team could be shorthanded in the backcourt.
While it wasn't the best night for McCain shooting the ball, he saw his largest workload of the postseason. If Jalen Williams (hamstring) is unable to play in Game 3, McCain could again be called upon to play a larger role on the wings.
Holmgren has the unenviable task of matching up with Victor Wembanyama, and the former's numbers have taken a hit in this series. Through two games, he's shooting a combined 7-for-17 from the field, averaging 10.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.5 steals in 34.0 minutes per contest.
The 2025-26 Sixth Man of the Year, Johnson has seen his minutes go down in the postseason. Through 13 playoff games, he's averaging 19.4 minutes per game with 8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.7 steals on 41.5 percent shooting from the field. De'Aaron Fox (ankle) and Dylan Harper (adductor) are questionable for Game 3, so Johnson could potentially be more involved.
Vassell was one of three Spurs to eclipse 20 points, joining Victor Wembanyama (21) and Stephon Castle (25). Vassell has been solid through 13 postseason appearances, posting averages of 13.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 blocks and 1.2 steals.
Towns pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds, recording his third straight double-double. Although he was relatively efficient from the floor, Towns' impact on the offensive end was somewhat muted when compared to his body of work throughout the playoffs. In his past 10 appearances, Towns has averaged 16.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.3 three-pointers and 2.2 combined steals and blocks.
Shamet failed to score for the fifth time in the playoffs, continuing what has been a largely underwhelming postseason. In fact, in his past 10 games, Shamet has averaged just 4.7 points and 1.2 three-pointers in 11.6 minutes per contest. While his points production has been modest, to say the least, his ability to spread the floor remains a positive, even when his shot isn't falling.
Brunson racked up 14 assists Thursday, the most he has recorded thus far during the playoffs. Fresh off a 38-point performance in Game 1, Brunson opted to get others involved, leading to a comfortable victory. In his past 10 appearances, Brunson has averaged 27.4 points, 6.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.2 three-pointers. Now leading the series 2-0, New York will head to Cleveland looking to assert its dominance on the road.
Despite continuing to start, Wade has been mostly a non-factor on both ends of the floor, a trend that continued Thursday. Through 16 playoff appearances, Wade has scored double digits only twice, with both of those being 10-point performances. He has also recorded just 10 steals, four of which came in the opening two games against Toronto.
Merrill failed to land a single three-pointer for the first time in the past seven games, despite a number of good looks, particularly in the opening quarter. After scoring double digits in three straight games, Merrill simply couldn't find his rhythm, contributing to an underwhelming performance by Cleveland. Now trailing the series 2-0, the Cavaliers will head home for what is a must-win game Saturday.
Mitchell hasn't been the most efficient shooter during the first two games of the series, going 6-for-18 from behind the arc. He managed to take better care of the ball Thursday after committing four turnovers in Game 1. Still, the 29-year-old couldn't do enough to lift the Cavaliers to a win to tie the series up at one game each. There were rumblings that Mitchell might have sustained a leg injury in the 115-104 overtime loss to the Knicks to begin the Eastern Conference Finals. However, nothing has been confirmed. The clubs will meet for Game 3 on Saturday, and it will be interesting to see if Mitchell pops up on the injury report heading into that contest.
Hart paced the Knicks in the scoring column, and while he temporarily exited the game in the third quarter after tweaking his ankle, he was cleared to return for the final period to help close out Game 2. The Villanova product enjoyed the majority of his scoring success from beyond the arc Thursday, and his five made treys marks his best effort of the postseason. Hart also excelled as a playmaker and on the defensive end, where he accounted for two of New York's five swipes.
Hart tweaked his ankle after an awkward landing in the third quarter. He was observed limping after it happened and exited to the locker room. However, it's apparent Hart felt well enough to get back on the floor, although it wouldn't be surprising to see him added to the injury report ahead of Game 3 on Saturday.
