After a last-second loss to the Thunder, the Spurs proved that they can still win close games. In large part thanks to a fantastic performance by DeMar DeRozan in his return, San Antonio beat the Pelicans 117-114 at home in another matchup that came down to the wire.
It didn’t look like the still severely shorthanded Spurs were even going to force a close ending early in the game. Neither team was playing good defense to start the night, but San Antonio simply had no answer for Brandon Ingram. The young All-Star wing dropped 15 points in the first frame to push his team ahead by as many as eight.