Rookie San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper scored 20 of his 27 points in the second half to help his team erase a huge deficit and stun the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series on Friday night.
The 20-year-old Harper became the youngest player in NBA playoffs history to score 25 or more points off the bench, breaking the previous record set by Kobe Bryant in 1997.
Harper was also the second-youngest to score at least 20 in a postseason game, and the first rookie to log 25 points and 10 assists on 75% shooting in the playoffs since 1989.
Dylan Harper Has Breakout Game
The second-generation player proved exactly why the Spurs selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft, even while having quality guards like De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell already on the roster.
The Athletic’s Jared Weiss broke down his stunning Game 3 performance.
“Harper went on a blistering offensive run that completely rewrote the game,” Weiss wrote, referring to Harper’s red-hot scoring streak in the second half.
“He showed that his offensive emergence in the second half of the season can carry on in the playoffs.
“When it was all said and done, the kids saved the Spurs, giving them the series lead when it looked as if they were going to need Wembanyama to bring them back in it. It looks like the Spurs’ inexperience may not be as big of a problem as it once appeared.”
Dylan Harper Puts on a Show
Harper had many incredible highlights, but none were more memorable than his left-handed poster over Robert Williams III in the fourth quarter, which brought teammate Victor Wembanyama to his feet.
Several NBA analysts chimed in with their reactions.
Brandon Rahbar: “Mavs jumping to #1 and Cooper Flagg got all the attention, but the bigger story was the Spurs jumping to #2 and Dylan Harper after drafting Wemby and Castle.”
Sam Vecenie: “Look, I think folks who have watched the Spurs all thought that Dylan Harper was going to be a star after the regular season. But this is definitely the coming out party for everyone else. This is real.”
Chris Broussard: “Dylan Harper is coming of age right before our eyes! Oh My!”
Bonta Hill: “Dylan Harper is going to make Fox expendable sooner rather than later.”
The Spurs will try to take a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Trail Blazers in Sunday’s Game 4. Victor Wembanyama, who sat out Game 3 with a concussion, is expected to return for Game 4, spelling great news for the Spurs.
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