The San Antonio Spurs find themselves down a critical figure after suffering their first loss of the young season, a 130-118 defeat to the 3-4 Phoenix Suns.
The defeat has dropped San Antonio to a still-great 5-1 record on the year (the Spurs' 5-0 start was the best in the franchise's history), but more concerningly, the club could be without one of its bright young lights for a significant amount of time.
MORE: Suns upset Spurs in first loss of the season
Per ESPN's Michael C. Wright, guard Dylan Harper hurt his left calf while defending Phoenix center Nick Richards on a dunk attempt during the bout's second frame. As Harper exited the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix postgame, he was seen wearing a walking boot on the injured left foot, walking with the aid of crutches.
Dylan Harper: Quick start
Harper, son of five-time champion Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers guard Ron, wrapped up the night with 12 points while shooting 5-of-8 from the field. Heading into the matchup, the 19-year-old had been averaging 14.4 points, 4.6 boards, 2.4 dimes and 1.2 swipes across five contests.
"I believe it's something with this calf, but I don't have anything as of yet," head coach Mitch Johnson said of the injury.
San Antonio selected Harper with the No. 2 pick in this summer's 2025 NBA Draft out of Rutgers, and he has already emerged as a critical contributor just a few games into his pro career.
"Yeah, I hope the best for him, for sure," All-Star center Victor Wembanyama said. "We've seen great things from him. It's actually been hard to believe how good he's played. But it happens. We have to be able to deal with injuries. But at the same time, we're going to get some guys back."
The injuries are suddenly piling up for San Antonio's talented backcourt.
All-Star Spurs point guard De'Aaron Fox has yet to suit up at all this year due to a summer hamstring injury. 5-foot-11 reserve Jordan McLaughlin could get more minutes should Harper miss extended time and Fox not return soon.
Spurs updates:
- Will Victor Wembanyama surpass 'Stocks' scoring mark during the 2025-26 NBA season?
- Shaquille O’Neal praises Wembanyama's unique abilities
- Steve Kerr explains why Gregg Popovich is a ‘pioneer’ of NBA’s load management