Without Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs needed some inspiration against Portland. In a team that has accomplished stars like De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, it was a rookie who went nuclear to flip the script.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Dylan Harper, son of former Bulls legend Ron Harper, started a 45-15 run with a three-pointer and never looked back. He scored 22 second-half points from the very moment San Antonio trailed by 15 in the third, leading to a comeback victory.
The Spurs should also thank Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson. With 33 seconds on the clock, he drove for a layup and started trash-talking Harper. As a result, the referees hit him with a technical foul, which helped Harper get his revenge. He made a thunderous dunk in the fourth quarter to cap off a personal 10-point run that deflated Portland.
WILD: Dylan Harper is the 2nd youngest player to score 20+ PTS off the bench in a playoff game — Kobe Bryant was the youngest at 18
DYLAN HARPER TONIGHT: 27 POINTS 10 REBOUNDS 3 ASSISTS 9/12 FGM 4/5 3PM +25 +/- 30 MINUTES OFF THE BENCH.
The 20-year-old’s explosion placed him in legendary company. He became the second-youngest player behind Kobe Bryant with a 20-point playoff game off the bench and joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only rookie to score 27 on 80% shooting.
Harper also finished the game with the highest point differential of any player on the floor, with a +25 in just 30 minutes of action. He was directly responsible for staging an improbable comeback that restored the Spurs’ home-court advantage.
Astonishingly, Harper wasn’t the only junior player to elevate his game for the Spurs in Game 3.
The Spurs’ young core works its magic
Tonight, Carter Bryant proved he is one of the best defenders with a dynamic performance that saw the Spurs outscore the Blazers by 17 with him on the floor. He recorded three blocks, more than backup center Luke Kornet.
Sophomore guard Stephon Castle kept the Spurs in the game. He scored almost a third of the Spurs’ first 58 points in the first half. The former Rookie of the Year scored a game-high 33 points with 5 assists, shooting 55.6% from the field.
The Spurs’ trio of young pillars inspired a team effort that successfully curbed the Trail Blazers’ offense in the second half. San Antonio held the Blazers to 37.2% shooting in the second half, limiting them to just four made threes. In contrast, the Spurs piled on 61 points, making half of their field goal attempts.
With Wembanyama’s return for Game 4 still uncertain, the question remains whether Harper and the young core can replicate this magic or if this was a one-time flash of brilliance born from desperation.
