Dylan Harper had a historic start to his first NBA Finals, becoming the all-time leader in points for a Spurs rookie in a single playoffs.
SAN ANTONIO — The Spurs lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals when the Knicks stormed back from a double-digit deficit Wednesday, handing San Antonio its first loss in the opener of a championship series after the Spurs entered the day with a 6-0 mark.
But Dylan Harper, the 20-year-old rookie who has impressed in these playoffs – 13 performances of at least 10 points in 19 postseason games, despite coming off the bench in all but one of them – was again a bright spot, showcasing what’s become a trademark poise and craftiness in his first taste of Finals action.
Despite not entering until over four minutes into the game, Harper proved to be the spark the Spurs offense needed early on. He had 10 points in the opening frame, which ended with a 27-17 San Antonio advantage.
Harper, who doesn’t turn 21 until the latter weeks of next season, made some history with that performance, surpassing David Robinson for the most points by a Spurs rookie in a playoffs run (251, and counting, to Robinson’s 243). He also became the youngest player ever with at least 10 points in a Finals game—and he accomplished it in the first quarter.
Harper finished with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting while pulling down eight boards. The rest of the Spurs bench combined for four points while going 1-of-7 from the field.
He was also the only Spurs player to hit half his shots from the field; his teammates combined to shoot at a 32.9% clip.
Despite the rook’s hot hand, however, some fans lamented how the Spurs opted to have All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox on the floor in the closing minutes of a tight Game 1, despite Fox entering the fourth quarter with just seven points on 3-of-10 shooting.
Fox went scoreless in the fourth as the Knicks outscored San Antonio 29-19 en route to a 105-95 win. Harper left with 4:04 left in the game, with the score at 94-90 in favor of New York, and didn’t return.
In addressing the approach Thursday, head coach Mitch Johnson said it was more about confidence in the rotation that closed out the game – the starting lineup of Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie and Victor Wembanyama – rather than a lack of trust in Harper.
“Dylan had a heck of a game and was playing very well,” Johnson said. “That comes with when you have a lot of good players, those decisions. Dylan did not finish the game by nothing that he did or did not do. It was a decision I made. And I understand that there would be logic in having Dylan in that group, but I thought that group that was out there did some things in the stretch and that’s who I rolled with.”
For his part, Harper – the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper – said after the game that he wasn’t feeling sorry for himself, pointing to the success the team has had thus far with the role he’s been assigned to.
“We won 62 (regular-season) games, we made it this far. So I’m gonna keep on trusting the coaching staff, trusting in Mitch, and just having that trust and knowing they know what’s best for the team,” Harper said. “If they think that’s the best thing for the team and it helps us win the most, then I’m all for it. Obviously you want to be out there, but ain’t nothing to hang my head on.”
Harper has been the most consistently effective bench player for the Silver & Black this postseason, even with a second unit featuring Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson. Harper’s 13.2 points per game in the playoffs are second on the Spurs and he’s the only bench player averaging more than 20 minutes a game, at 25.7; Johnson is second at 18.1.
Regardless of the Game 1 result, Harper, the second overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Rutgers, is continuing to make a name for himself as much through his on-court calm as for the ways he sneaks around opponents to the basket.
“Being in the Finals is a blessing,” Harper said after the game Wednesday. “I feel like this is every kid’s dream, every basketball player’s dream. Regardless of what went down yesterday, (I’m) just blessed to be in this position to try and get some more (wins).”