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Spurs’ Dylan Harper breaks Pelicans’ back with clutch bucket
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- Spurs’ Dylan Harper breaks Pelicans’ back with clutch bucket
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On Monday night, the San Antonio Spurs found themselves in a closer-than-expected contest against an injury-ravaged New Orleans Pelicans team that was without Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole . But the Pelicans, t hanks to a historic effort from Derik Queen (a 33-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist game that saw him become the first rookie this season to record a triple-double), kept it close until the very end — warranting a monster display in the clutch from another newcomer in point guard Dylan Harper .
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De'Aaron Fox has been the star of the show with Victor Wembanyama out, but with the Pelicans containing Fox, the Spurs needed Harper to step up. And Harper answered the call with multiple clutch buckets in a 135-132 win — including the dagger that proved to be the difference. With 14.4 seconds left in the game, the Spurs rookie got the ball off the inbounds pass and took on Saddiq Bey off the dribble.
Harper then drove all the way to the cup, lowered his shoulder, and took off for a graceful layup with his off-hand — giving the Spurs a 133-132 lead that they would not relinquish .
The Pelicans had a chance to retake the lead on the ensuing possession, but Queen missed what would have been the go-ahead triple. Fox then went on to drill two more free throws to seal the deal after Bey missed a three-point try off of one foot in the dying embers of the contest.
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Spurs have held the fort without Victor Wembanyama
© Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Wembanyama recently returned to practice , signaling that he's close to a return to action after dealing with a calf strain. He was eventually ruled out of Monday night's contest vs. the Pelicans, but he could return for NBA Cup action against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
The Spurs have gone 8-3 with Wembanyama out, suggesting that they're a legitimate contender especially once their best player comes back.
Related: Spurs' Victor Wembanyama update for Lakers game sparks excitement
Related: Why Spurs' Devin Vassell works on bad shots during practice
