Devonte’ Graham contributed 20 points, while Victor Wembanyama narrowly missed a double-double with his impressive performance as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the struggling New Orleans Pelicans 111-109 on Friday night.

Wembanyama’s stat line consisted of 17 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists. Noteworthy contributions also came from Sandro Mamukelashvili, Julian Champagnie, and Zach Collins, each scoring 15 points, alongside Tre Jones and Malaki Barnham, who both added 14 points for the Spurs (19-58), securing their victory against the Pelicans after suffering three defeats earlier in the season.

CJ McCollum led the scoring for New Orleans with 31 points, followed by Jonas Valanciunas with 26 points, Trey Murphy III with 16 points, and Herbert Jones with 15 points. Despite their efforts, the Pelicans succumbed to their fourth consecutive loss and fifth defeat in the last six games.

In the third quarter, Murphy energized the Pelicans’ offense, scoring seven consecutive points to extend their lead. However, the Spurs fought back with a 13-4 run, narrowing the gap to 78-75. The Pelicans managed to reestablish a six-point lead twice during the quarter.

The third quarter concluded with a tie at 86-86 as Graham hit back-to-back 3-pointers to level the playing field.

With the score tied multiple times, Branham’s 3-pointer marked the beginning of a 7-0 surge, propelling San Antonio to a 102-97 advantage with five minutes remaining in the game.

As the clock winded down, the Pelicans closed the gap to just one point with 42 seconds left. Despite a missed attempt by Graham, Jones sought to take the lead with a crucial drive to the basket, only to be denied by Wembanyama’s critical block on his floater.

Following Graham’s two successful free throws with 10 seconds on the clock, a turnover by Jones sealed the Pelicans’ fate, with Wembanyama converting two free throws to secure the victory for the Spurs.

McCollum showcased his prowess in the first quarter, scoring six of his total nine points in the final four minutes, allowing New Orleans to establish a commanding 27-18 lead by the end of the period.

The Pelicans initiated the second quarter with four consecutive points, but a spirited effort by Graham, contributing five points during a 12-2 run, brought the Spurs within striking distance at 33-30. Despite Valanciunas’ basket extending the Pelicans’ lead to 53-38, the Spurs managed to narrow the deficit to seven points by halftime.

McCollum’s scoring outburst, including a free throw and a jumper, concluded the second quarter, securing a 61-51 halftime lead for New Orleans.