By ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Harrison Barnes scored 24 points, rookie Dylan Harper capped a 22-point performance with a go-ahead driving floater with 9 seconds left, and the San Antonio Spurs recovered from losing a 20-point halftime lead to beat the reeling New Orleans Pelicans, 135-132, on Monday night, Dec. 8.
Rookie Derik Queen led a furious Pelicans comeback bid, scoring 29 of his season-high 33 points in the second half, and adding 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first NBA triple-double.
De’Aaron Fox, who scored 14 points, hit two free throws with 1.1 seconds left for the final margin, which stood after Saddiq Bey’s rushed 3-point shot at the horn bounced off the front rim.
Stephon Castle scored 18 points for San Antonio and Julian Champagnie added 17 points, highlighted by his five 3s.
Both teams’ biggest stars — the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (left calf) and the Pelicans’ Zion Williamson (right hip adductor) — watched from the bench. But their teammates provided plenty of entertainment.
Trey Murphy scored 32 for the Pelicans, who stunningly scored 45 points in the third quarter to turn a 20-point deficit into a 102-100 lead heading into the final quarter.
Herb Jones, returning from a right calf injury that sidelined him for eight games, scored 17 points and Bey also scored 17 in New Orleans’ seventh straight loss.
The Pelicans opened the second half with an 11-0 run. After Murphy dunked for the third time in the first 6:31 of the third quarter, New Orleans had outscored San Antonio 28-10 and trailed just 87-85.
Queen scored 21 in the period, and his free throws gave the Pelicans a 91-90 lead, their first since the middle of the first quarter.
The Spurs hit 11 3s in the first half, six of them during a 42-point second quarter that gave San Antonio a 77-57 lead at halftime.
The Spurs’ first-half point total was their most in any half this season.
Meanwhile in Minneapolis, Mark Williams had 22 points and seven rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns overcame Anthony Edwards’ 40 points to snap the Minnesota Timberwolves’ five-game winning streak with a 108-105 victory.
Collin Gillespie added 19 points and Dillon Brooks had 18 for the Suns, who stunned Minnesota with a late rally in their previous meeting but had an easier time Monday. Phoenix never trailed by more than two points in its final tuneup before traveling to league-leading Oklahoma City on Wednesday for an NBA Cup quarterfinal game.
Edwards shot 15 for 21 and Julius Randle had 21 points, but the rest of Minnesota’s top players struggled. Naz Reid was 2 for 12 off the bench and Jaden McDaniels and Donte DiVincenzo both went 1 for 7.
Rudy Gobert was having a good night until he was ejected in the third quarter for a flagrant foul. He finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.
In the Suns’ 114-113 home victory on Nov. 21, they became the first team since January 2022 to win in regulation after trailing by eight or more points within the final minute.
This time, the Suns blitzed the Wolves with a 14-3 spurt to start the fourth quarter, turning an 84-all tie into a 98-87 lead. Minnesota got back in it and had a chance to tie, but McDaniels missed a 3-pointer with 3.7 seconds to play.
