Harrison Barnes scored 24 points and rookie Dylan Harper added 22, including the go-ahead floater with nine seconds remaining, as the San Antonio Spurs escaped with a 135–132 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night at Smoothie King Center.
San Antonio improved to 16–7 despite losing a 20-point halftime lead and needing late free throws from De’Aaron Fox to survive a furious rally.
New Orleans fell to 3–22 after a night defined by Derik Queen’s breakout performance and the club’s continued struggles closing games.
Queen finished with a season-high 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists for his first NBA triple-double, scoring 29 after halftime to lead a comeback that flipped the game’s rhythm.
Trey Murphy added 32 points, and Herb Jones scored 17 in his return from a right calf injury that sidelined him for eight games.
Both teams played without their franchise anchors, with Victor Wembanyama out due to a left calf issue and Zion Williamson sidelined by a right hip adductor injury.
The Spurs built their early cushion behind a 42-point second quarter, hitting 11 threes in the half and stretching the margin to 77–57 at intermission.
Julian Champagnie knocked down five triples and finished with 17 points off the bench, while Stephon Castle contributed 18 points and steady perimeter defense.
The Pelicans opened the third quarter with an 11–0 burst, using pace and spacing to target San Antonio in transition and erase the deficit in less than six minutes.
Queen powered the surge with 21 points in the period, repeatedly attacking mismatches and earning trips to the line.
Murphy’s third dunk of the quarter cut the margin to two, and Queen’s free throws gave New Orleans a 91–90 lead, its first since the opening quarter.
San Antonio stabilized in the fourth behind Barnes’ shot creation and Fox’s playmaking, but the Pelicans stayed within possession range with timely drives from Jones and second-chance scoring.
Harper broke a 131–131 tie by getting downhill for his late floater, using a high screen to create separation for the decisive finish.
Fox sealed the game with two free throws with 1.1 seconds left, and Saddiq Bey’s contested three at the buzzer hit the front rim.
The Spurs shot 49 percent from the field and 17-for-36 from deep, leveraging a balanced attack to offset New Orleans’ 58 percent shooting and strong interior finishing.
New Orleans went just 7-for-26 from three, a gap that proved costly despite its 45-point third quarter.
San Antonio next visits the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday for the NBA Cup quarterfinals.
The Pelicans return home to face Portland on Thursday as they look to halt a seven-game slide.
