Is De'Aaron Fox Playing Tonight? Injury Update and Game 5 Status for Spurs vs Timberwolves NBA Playoffs 2026

San Antonio—The Spurs’ backcourt dynamo De’Aaron Fox is stealing the NBA spotlight again, earning a late-season All-Star nod while fighting through an ankle scare as the Western Conference semifinals reach a boiling point. Named All-Star in place of injured Giannis NBA Commissioner Adam Silver officially selected Fox to replace Giannis Antetokounmpo on Team USA Stripes for next week’s 2026 All-Star Game, cementing the 28-year-old as the first Spur since Devin Vassell to reach the mid-season classic. The honor caps a breakout campaign in which Fox averaged 26.8 points, 7.2 assists and a career-best 38.9 percent from deep, transforming San Antonio’s pace into one of the league’s fastest. Ankle listed day-to-day ahead of pivotal Game 6 Fox rolled his right ankle in the fourth quarter of Monday’s Game 4 win over Minnesota and missed most of the closing minutes in Game 5. The team lists him as day-to-day, but multiple league sources expect the guard to test the ankle in today’s morning shootaround before a final decision is made for tonight’s elimination contest. Fox participated in light drills Friday, telling reporters he feels “much better” and plans to play if swelling subsides. Catalyst of the Spurs’ turnaround Since arriving from Sacramento last summer, Fox has unlocked Gregg Popovich’s young core with relentless rim pressure and a top-five clutch scoring rate. San Antonio’s offensive rating rockets from 109.2 without him to 118.6 when he’s on the floor, per league tracking data, while his two-man game with rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama ranks third in points per possession among high-usage duos. What the All-Star call means Fox’s selection not only rewards his personal leap but also boosts a Spurs franchise craving national attention after a five-year rebuild. League marketing executives note that All-Star weekend exposure historically spikes regional merchandise sales by nearly 20 percent—the perfect stage for Fox’s signature “Turbo” brand of speed. Eyes on Game 6 and beyond If the ankle holds, Fox will try to close out the Timberwolves tonight and secure San Antonio’s first conference-final berth since 2017. Should the series stretch to a Game 7, the NBA has already cleared Fox for limited minutes, banking on extra rest before All-Star festivities tip off in Seattle. SEO keywords: De’Aaron Fox injury update, Spurs vs Timberwolves Game 6, 2026 NBA All-Star replacement, Giannis Antetokounmpo injury, San Antonio Spurs news, NBA Playoffs today.