HARRISON Barnes garnered 24 points and rookie Dylan Harper capped his 22-point outing with a go-ahead driving floater in the last nine seconds as the San Antonio Spurs held off the surging New Orleans Pelicans 135–132 on Monday night (Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, PH time).
San Antonio survived after squandering a 20-point halftime lead, according to the Associated Press.
Pelicans rookie Derik Queen spearheaded the comeback, pouring in 29 of his season-high 33 points in the second half and finishing with 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first NBA triple-double.
De’Aaron Fox, who had 14 points, sealed the win by sinking two free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining. Saddiq Bey’s hurried three-point attempt at the buzzer bounced off the front rim.
Stephon Castle added 18 points for the Spurs, while Julian Champagnie scored 17, including five three-pointers.
Both teams were without their marquee stars — San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama (left calf) and New Orleans’ Zion Williamson (right hip adductor) — but their absences didn’t dampen the drama.
Trey Murphy finished with 32 points for the Pelicans, who exploded for 45 points in the third quarter to erase San Antonio’s 20-point cushion and take a 102–100 lead entering the fourth.
Herb Jones, back after an eight-game absence due to a right calf injury, added 17 points, while Bey also scored 17 as New Orleans dropped its seventh straight game.
The Pelicans opened the second half with an 11–0 run. Murphy’s third dunk of the third quarter cut the Spurs’ lead to 87–85 after New Orleans outscored them 28–10 in the first six and a half minutes of the period.
Queen scored 21 in the third alone, and his free throws put the Pelicans up 91–90 — their first lead since midway through the opening quarter.
San Antonio had built its huge halftime advantage with 11 three-pointers, including six during a 42-point second quarter that pushed the lead to 77–57. It was the Spurs’ highest-scoring half of the season.
Elsewhere, the Indiana Pacers beat the Sacramento Kings 116–105, while the Phoenix Suns edged the Minnesota Timberwolves 108–105. / LBG