San Antonio Spurs rookie Dylan Harper lofted an alley-oop to Victor Wembanyama for a two-handed slam with 44.3 seconds left within the first half of Friday night time’s 134-130 additional time victory over the Utah Jazz.
Spurs’ Dylan Harper Performed 18 Minutes Towards Jazz
Harper, an early NBA Rookie of the Yr candidate after going No. 2 general on this 12 months’s draft, registered a game-best plus-minus of twenty-two over 12½ minutes, and completed 4-of-5 capturing for 9 factors with two assists.
The previous Rutgers star added yet another dime within the third quarter earlier than trying out for good with 6:23 remaining on account of a minutes restriction.
Dylan Harper finds Wemby for the alley-oop 🤯
WHAT. A. PASS. pic.twitter.com/bPB0zoj2nn
— NBA (@NBA) October 11, 2025
all of the angles 🤩 https://t.co/cOrOGiTRWE pic.twitter.com/gnmXWtWrDA
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 11, 2025
Dylan Harper performed 18 minutes and completed with a plus-minus of 20.
The 19-year-old accomplished an alley-oop to Wembanyama and adopted that up with a move close to the rim to Luke Kornet for his first two assists.
“It’s good to be on the court docket with him,” Wembanyama stated. “He appears to be like prepared, very snug already throwing these sorts of passes. So, I’m very assured and I’m very pleased to have the ability to spend a while on the court docket with him.”
Harper Scored His First Basket Mid-Means By First Quarter
Harper scored his first bucket 10 seconds after checking into the motion with 6:12 left within the opening quarter after operating previous his defender on a minimize to the basket for a layup off an help from Harrison Barnes.
“Simply being again out on the court docket with them guys, simply getting the chemistry going earlier than the season begins, it simply felt good to play once more,” Harper stated.
“My teammates do an important job of empowering me, they usually’re going to let me know what I do improper. However in the end, they’re right here to assist me out and I’m right here to assist them out. Simply having that confidence behind me could be very useful.”
Harper admitted after the sport that he’ll possible should “flip [my] mind” in gauging methods to precisely hit his new 7-foot-5 teammate on alley-oop passes.
“I ought to’ve [thrown] increased, so much increased,” Harper stated. “It’s bizarre. Ain’t nobody ever performed with somebody that tall. You get on the market. You throw it up and also you suppose you threw it too excessive. However then he catches it and also you’re like, ‘It’s slightly too low.’ So, [it’s] simply little issues like that. Simply throw the place nobody else can get it however him.”
Harper Was Nervous Forward Of NBA Preseason Debut
Harper stated he had “first-game jitters” whereas at shootaround, however it didn’t take lengthy for him to regulate to enjoying in entrance of NBA followers. His exhibition outing needs to be a confidence booster for the New Jersey native.
“It’s simply one other step for him and his younger profession as he’s going to proceed to develop. Clearly, he made some performs, which hopefully he’ll be ok with,” stated Spurs coach Mitch Johnson.
“However simply to have the ability to do it in entrance of followers and within the shiny lights, whether or not it was the performs that folks will speak about when he scored, made a shot, or made a great move. Simply to have the ability to undergo staff protection and run the ground, it’s simply invaluable expertise.”
Harper sat out the Spurs’ first two preseason video games as a precautionary measure after present process surgical procedure in September to restore {a partially} torn collateral ligament in his left thumb.
San Antonio visits the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 22 to open its 2025-26 season.
