Derik Queen Records His First Ever Triple Double Vs. Spurs
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As if Maryland's own Derik Queen did not win over College Park during his time with the Terps' last season, now in his rookie season with the New Orleans Pelicans, it feels like he's setting new accolades every night with his stellar play so far.
Last night, Queen recorded a 30-point, triple-double performance in a close 135-132 loss against the San Antonio Spurs in front of the Smoothie King Arena faithful. His final stat line was 33 points on an efficient 11-of-15 shooting from the field, 11-of-13 free throws made, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, four blocks, and a +14 rating when on the floor. Queen set a career high in points and blocks recorded in a game.
The triple-double performance marked the fifth time in NBA history that a player under 21 recorded a 30-point triple-double. He joins the likes of Lebron James, Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, and De'Aaron Fox. That is elite company he's joining.
Derik Queen put on a show vs. the Spurs but the Pelicans came up short 😳
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 9, 2025
He becomes just the 5th player in NBA history to drop a 30-point triple-double before turning 21! pic.twitter.com/V7H8xSA4M9
The Pelicans trailed by 20 points entering the third quarter, in need of a huge comeback. Queen came through for New Orleans, scoring 21 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting & 9-for-9 at the free throw line to go along with four boards and five assists. Queen also became the youngest player in NBA history to have a 20+ point quarter without missing any shots.
In the fourth, he had eight points, including a driving tough-contested go-ahead layup over Luke Kornet with 30 seconds left that put the Pelicans ahead 132-131.
Derik Queen vs. Spurs:
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) December 9, 2025
33 PTS (career-high)
10 REB
10 AST
4 BLK
73% FG
Blake Griffin is the only rookie in NBA history with a higher FG% in a 30-point triple-double.pic.twitter.com/V7douRSXDL
Unfortunately, the Spurs would respond on the next possession with the eventual game-winning driving layup by Dylan Harper. Queen had an open look at the top of the key to try and retake the lead, but his shot fell short off the front of the rim.
It's been a great showing on the season for Queen, who has been a steady, consistent presence for the Pelicans, who have missed stars Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole, Dejounte Murray, and other rotational players.
As a matter of fact, Queen and his fellow rookie teammate, Jeremiah Fears, are the only Pelicans' players to appear in every game so far.
Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego said this about Queen's performance in the postgame presser:
"A special night for him, obviously. Second half, he was great. He did a good job defensively on the board, controlled the offense, ran a lot of our stuff through him, and he was fantastic. Made the right reads and most possessions. Our offense was rolling there for the last three quarters. Heck of an effort, a lot of growth there, and really took a step forward."
Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.