How Trail Blazers 'Woke A Monster' in Spurs Rookie Dylan Harper During Game 3

PORTLAND, Ore. — Dylan Harper sensed a lack of energy. Taking after his veteran Keldon Johnson, the rookie placed it upon himself to solve that problem.

"My biggest focus was not trying to get it all at once," Harper explained. "(I was) just trying to be the energy guy who came in and played hard."

When Mitch Johnson subbed Harper in, a 14-point lead threatened to put the San Antonio Spurs in a 2-1 hole in their Western Conference First Round series against the Portland Trail Blazers. They only had 19 minutes and 44 seconds to change their fate.

Harper accomplished his mission, and more, in that time frame. The Spurs overcame a 17-point deficit en route to a 120-108 victory to take Game 3 on the road.

“He played downhill all game. He got to his spots. We don’t expect anything less from Dyl. With how much work he puts in, how confident he is, he was bound to have one of these games.”

"He played well," Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday said. "He came in and gave them energy.”

Harper began chipping away at Portland's third-quarter lead with a pair of free throws earned after Holiday fouled him on a fast break. From there, he connected on a 3-pointer near the left corner and drove in for another layup, marking 15 points on the evening.

It was somewhere in there that Scoot Henderson decided to jaw at the 20-year-old.

"The next thing you know, it’s like he woke up a monster," Devin Vassell said.

Apr 24, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) drives to the basket past Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) during the second half during Game 3 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center. | Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

Without Victor Wembanyama, who continues to navigate the NBA's concussion protocol since entering it after Game 2 on Tuesday evening, San Antonio needed its other stars to generate offense while keeping the Trail Blazers at bay on defense.

Stephon Castle managed to keep the Spurs afloat through two quarters with 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field, but beyond him, only Luke Kornet managed more than eight points. At halftime, Harper had accounted for all of San Antonio's bench points.

Johnson praised the even-keeled rookie, who finished Friday's contest with 27 points, for more than just his scoring. Even his four fouls came in timely fashion.

"To be able to set a tone," the coach said, "and to get into a rhythm defensively, I thought he did a really good job. It’s funny, when you take care of the fundamentals and the simple stuff, then really talented people can take over games, and he did that.”

Before the season began, Harper sat down and consulted Manu Ginóbili. Far from uncommon for legends of Spurs past to roam the practice facility, the conversation came naturally. It wasn't any less surreal for the guard, who shared a unique trait with the Argentinian.

“If you’re a lefty, you’re going to watch every lefty who’s played in the NBA," Harper said.

As the pair talked, Harper had a chance to ask about his potential role in San Antonio. Joining a squad already featuring Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox, landing a starting job from Day 1 was a long shot. In that sense, his minutes needed to count.

"I'm playing in a role I'm not used to," Harper explained. "(Ginóbili) got it into my head that you have to impact the game in whatever way you can.”

Apr 24, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) shoots the ball over Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday (5) during the second half during Game 3 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center. | Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

Harper leaned on that advice throughout the regular season. Like Ginóbili, he found himself starting sporadically as the Spurs dealt with injuries. Game 3 at Moda Center wasn't one such instance, but it allowed Harper to affect a different area of the game.

His teammates weren't surprised to see him take over the second half.

“He played downhill all game," Castle said. "We don’t expect anything less from Dyl. With how much work he puts in, how confident he is, he was bound to have one of these games.”

Henderson's boisterous talk might have ignited a spark in Harper. Or perhaps he'd been waiting for a chance to take the reins — for 15 good years, he'd tell you.

Sitting on the podium a year after watching Tyrese Haliburton steal a game from the New York Knicks with a lucky heave, Harper had his own moment in the spotlight.

"I’ve been waiting for this moment since I was a kid," Harper said.

With 5:24 to play in the fourth quarter, Johnson smiled and gave Harper a friendly shove to the scorer's table. Because of him, the Spurs managed a 29-point swing to take complete control of a crucial game. The coach couldn't wait to put the star of the show back in.

Harper recognized the stage he was on. He recognized the attention that was surely to follow his performance, especially joining Kobe Bryant as the second-youngest player to score 20 points off the bench in a playoff game; Bryant did so at 18 years old.

No matter the stakes, Harper remains level-headed. It doesn't matter who's yelling at him.

What matters to him is how he shuts them up.

"It's basketball," Harper said before praising Henderson's series-long play. "I try not to put too much pressure on myself ... I think of this game as any other game."

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