De'Aaron Fox Backed by Spurs' Mitch Johnson After NBA Finals G4, 'I Don't Care' About Criticism

San Antonio Spurs coach Mitch Johnson says he plans to keep turning to De'Aaron Fox down the stretch despite Fox's struggles during Wednesday's historic Game 4 collapse against the New York Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals.

"I don't get into social media. I think I've probably been fired 212 times, and we've traded Fox 72 times," Johnson said Friday. "We've still got to show up and play tomorrow, and I've got to coach."

Johnson continued: "People have their opinions, and I don't care. I care what the people that matter, in our building and our organization and that locker room, that they know how I feel, and I hear them and how they feel.

"De'Aaron Fox will have the basketball in his hands at the end of the game tomorrow, and I have nothing but the utmost confidence that he is going to deliver like he's done countless times for us."

Fox told reporters Friday the Spurs were focused on trying to "learn from the mistakes that we made" during Game 4.

"It's not like people have my phone number and can call me. I don't watch those shows. It doesn't matter," Fox said. "It is what it is, can't change it now... we're trying to move on from that."

The Spurs must win Game 5 to keep their title hopes alive after going down 3-1 in the series by blowing a 29-point lead Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

Sticking with Fox down the stretch of Game 5 could mean a lower usage rate for rookie Dylan Harper, who was limited to a secondary role as Fox was on the ball for most of Wednesday's fourth quarter.

Harper had contributed 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field (3-of-6 from three) earlier in the game, and the Spurs outscored the Knicks by 12 points when he was on the court.

The Spurs were up by one point with less than 17 seconds remaining when Fox got the ball and, rather than attempting to draw a foul, tried for a breakaway layup that was blocked by OG Anunoby.

Fox said after the game he made the decision because he thought he would "be able to outrun" Anunoby.

Anunoby instead sealed the Knicks' victory in the final seconds of regulation with a game-winning tip-in off of a missed Jalen Brunson three.

It sounds like online criticism won't be enough to encourage Johnson to switch up his game plan around Fox ahead of Game 5. The Spurs will hope his faith in his starting point guard pays off when the must-win matchup tips off Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. ET in San Antonio.