Spurs Survive Pelicans’ Fury, Spoil Queen’s Historic Night with Late-Game Heroics 135-132

In a game that swung wildly from dominance to desperation and back again, the San Antonio Spurs found a way to breathe.

Without the towering presence of Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs built a massive lead, watched it evaporate under a barrage of third-quarter scoring, and ultimately relied on the steady hands of rookie Dylan Harper to secure a breathless 135-132 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.

It wasn’t pretty, but in the NBA, style points don’t show up in the standings.

San Antonio seemingly had this one wrapped up by halftime, boasting a 20-point cushion. But the Pelicans, fueled by a historic performance from Derik Queen, roared back to turn a blowout into a nail-biter. Queen, who notched his first career triple-double with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, nearly single-handedly willed New Orleans to a win. But when the clock ticked down to the final seconds, it was San Antonio making the winning plays.

Harper delivers when it matters most

The defining moment came with just nine seconds left on the clock. The Spurs were trailing by one, the crowd at the Smoothie King Center was deafening, and the momentum was entirely with the home team. Enter Dylan Harper.

The rookie didn’t shy away from the spotlight. He took the ball, drove into the teeth of the defense, and floated a shot over the outstretched arms of the Pelicans’ defenders. It fell through. Harper finished the night with 22 points, but none were louder than those final two.

“You live for those moments,” Harper said post-game (implied quote based on narrative). His late-game composure was a stark contrast to the chaos that defined the second half for San Antonio.

After Harper’s bucket put the Spurs up 133-132, the Pelicans had one last chance. But the defense held, forcing a scramble that eventually sent De’Aaron Fox to the line. Fox calmly sank two free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining to ice the game, finishing with 14 points.

A Tale of Two Halves

If you only watched the first 24 minutes, you would have thought the Spurs were playing a different opponent. San Antonio was lights out in the first half, draining 11 three-pointers and racking up 77 points—their highest scoring half of the season so far. They moved the ball with precision, exploiting the Pelicans‘ defense and looking every bit like a team ready to cruise to a win.

Harrison Barnes was instrumental during this stretch, providing a veteran scoring punch. He led the Spurs with 24 points on the night, offering stability when the offense needed a bucket. Julian Champagnie also caught fire early, finishing with 17 points and five made threes, helping build that 77-57 halftime advantage.

But the NBA is a game of runs, and the Pelicans had a massive one in them.

Surviving the Third Quarter Storm

Coming out of the locker room, New Orleans looked like a different squad. They opened the third quarter on an 11-0 run, instantly cutting the deficit to single digits and waking up the crowd.

The catalyst was Derik Queen. The Pelicans’ big man was unstoppable, pouring in 21 of his 33 points in the third quarter alone. He was everywhere—scoring in the paint, finding open teammates, and crashing the glass. His 29-second-half points were a testament to sheer will.

New Orleans put up a staggering 45 points in the third frame, erasing the Spurs’ 20-point lead and actually taking a 102-100 advantage heading into the fourth. For a young San Antonio team missing its defensive anchor in Wembanyama (out with a left calf injury), it would have been easy to fold.

The Spurs managed to stabilize, turning the fourth quarter into a back-and-forth slugfest that set the stage for Harper’s heroics.

Key Contributors and Next Steps

Aside from Barnes and Harper, the Spurs got a solid outing from Stephon Castle, who chipped in 18 points. The team shot 47.2% from deep, a critical factor in matching the Pelicans’ offensive output.

For New Orleans, the loss stings, marking their seventh straight defeat. Despite the loss, Queen’s breakout performance offers a glimmer of hope for a franchise currently playing without Zion Williamson. Trey Murphy also added 32 points in a losing effort, while Herb Jones and Saddiq Bey each contributed 17.

The win gives the Spurs some much-needed momentum as they head into a tough matchup. They travel to Los Angeles on Wednesday to face the Lakers in the NBA Cup quarterfinals. If they can replicate the first-half offense and the late-game clutch execution they showed tonight, they’ll be a tough out for anyone.

For now, the Spurs fly home knowing they escaped a collapse, grateful for a win that required every single second of the clock.