Harrison Barnes scored 24 points and rookie Dylan Harper punctuated a 22-point night with a go-ahead floater in the lane with 9 seconds left as the San Antonio Spurs survived a blown 20-point halftime lead to edge the New Orleans Pelicans 135–132 on Monday night.
Rookie Derik Queen fueled a massive Pelicans rally, pouring in 29 of his season-high 33 points after halftime while adding 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first NBA triple-double. Trey Murphy added 32 points, and Herb Jones and Saddiq Bey each scored 17 for New Orleans, which dropped its seventh straight.
De’Aaron Fox sealed the win with two free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining, and Bey’s hurried 3-point attempt at the buzzer came up short.
Stephon Castle scored 18 for San Antonio, and Julian Champagnie chipped in 17 with five made 3s as the Spurs’ hot shooting powered a 42-point second quarter and a 77–57 halftime cushion, their highest-scoring half of the season.
New Orleans roared back with a 45-point third quarter, including an 11-0 run to open the half and 21 points from Queen in the period, flipping the game to a 102–100 Pelicans lead heading into the fourth.
Both teams were without their stars, Victor Wembanyama (left calf) and Zion Williamson (right hip adductor), but the matchup delivered plenty of fireworks.
Up Next:
*Spurs: Visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday in the NBA Cup quarterfinals.
Pelicans: Host the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday.*
