The San Antonio Spurs are holding firm on their starting point guard, De'Aaron Fox, for Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, even as a chorus of fans demands he be benched. After a costly late-game error in Game 4 that handed the Knicks a 107-106 victory, the pressure on Fox has reached a boiling point. But head coach Mitch Johnson isn't budging.
With 13.1 seconds left and the Spurs up by one, Fox drove hard to the rim with OG Anunoby on his hip. A made basket would have pushed the lead to three, but instead of milking the clock, Fox went for the score and got stuffed by Anunoby. The Knicks capitalized on the other end, hitting the go-ahead shot and sending the series to a pivotal Game 5. Fans immediately flooded social media with calls to bench the two-time All-Star, but Johnson made it clear where he stands.
“People will have their opinions. I don’t care. I care about the people in our building and that locker room,” Johnson told reporters. “De’Aaron Fox will have the basketball in his hands at the end of the game tomorrow. I have nothing but the upmost confidence that he’s going to deliver for us like he’s done countless times.”
Fox, who is averaging 14.3 points and 6.3 assists in the Finals, has struggled with efficiency, shooting just 38.2% from the field. His decision-making in Game 4 reignited debates about whether the Spurs should pivot to a different option in crunch time. Yet, the franchise’s commitment to Fox runs deep—he’s under contract for $221 million, making a benching or trade highly unlikely this offseason.
“You have to score,” Fox said after the loss. “Try to get a layup, get up three [points], [and] force them to need a 3. OG made a good block.”
The Spurs now face a must-win scenario at Madison Square Garden, where the atmosphere has been electric—and occasionally volatile. In the wake of Game 4, incidents involving Knicks fans have drawn scrutiny, adding another layer of tension to an already high-stakes series. Meanwhile, Johnson's own handling of the team has come under fire, with critics questioning his rotation and attitude after the historic collapse. Some are even calling for Johnson to be held accountable for the team's late-game execution.
Fox has shouldered much of the blame, but Johnson's vote of confidence suggests the Spurs are all-in on their star guard—for better or worse. Whether Fox can redeem himself in Game 5 remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: he'll have the ball in his hands when it matters most.
