Spurs’ Dylan Harper gets historic Larry Bird record to topple Thunder

Victor Wembanyama will be the talk of the town throughout the San Antonio Spurs’ NBA Playoffs run but a lot of players are starting to step up. Coach Mitch Johnson just saw five of his players play more than 44 minutes in Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. One of them even broke an insane record last touched by Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird. It was none other than Dylan Harper.

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Harper crucial in Spurs’ Game 1 win over Thunder, notched Bird record

Coach Mitch Johnson had a lot of trust in Dylan Harper. The Spurs rookie was not just a starter in Game 1, he was sent out there to replace an injured De’Aaron Fox. Harper was able to fill the shoes of their veteran guard and even surpassed expectations. He toyed with the Thunder on both the defensive and offensive side of the ball. The result? He got a record only Larry Bird was able to touch back in his prime.

Harper is the first player since Bird with 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and 5+ steals in a conference finals game, per StatMuse. Note that, this is not just a rookie record but an all-time feat that was last achieved by a Celtics legend who won three consecutive NBA MVP honors, and three NBA championships.

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More than that, he was also a great complement to Victor Wembanyama on the defensive side of the ball. While the Spurs big man patrolled the rim with his three blocks, Harper played great on-ball defense against the Thunder. This led him to snatching a whopping seven steals which is the most by a rookie in a conference finals game.

Coach Johnson and the Spurs already have a generational big man who plays both sides of the game. Now, they are seeing Harper emerge into possibly one of the greatest two-way guards in league history. Can he sustain it and trample over the Thunder again three more times?

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More Spurs News:

• Mitch Johnson lauds Dylan Harper’s impact in the Western Conference Finals as a rookie

• Five Spurs led by Victor Wembanyama record career-highs, break NBA history vs. Thunder

• «Just built like this»: Victor Wembanyama unveils Spurs’ keys to win over Thunder