Harper scores 27 off bench, rallies Wemby-less Spurs in Game 3 - ESPN

PORTLAND, Ore. — As a left-handed guard who comes off the bench, Spurs rookie Dylan Harper said he gravitated toward a fellow lefty sixth man in San Antonio legend Manu Ginobili, who now works for the organization as a special advisor.

«I play a role I'm not used to [off the bench],» Harper said after the Spurs' 120-108 win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Friday night's Game 3, «but he kind of put in my head that you've got to impact the game in any way you can.»

With Victor Wembanyama sitting out as he works through the protocol from a concussion suffered in Game 2, Harper was able to do just that Friday night, teaming with second-year guard Stephon Castle to lead San Antonio to a come-from-behind victory and take a 2-1 series lead.

Harper and Castle became the second pair of teammates age 21 or younger to each score 25 points or more in a playoff game, with Harper coming off the bench to deliver 27 points and Castle scoring a game-high 33. They joined former Oklahoma City Thunder stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, who accomplished the feat in Game 3 of the 2010 opening round against the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN Research.

Harper, who scored 22 of his points in the second half and also grabbed 10 rebounds, became the youngest player (20 years, 53 days) to score 25 points as a reserve in a playoff game.

Harper, who totaled just 16 points in the first two games of the series, said Ginobili has been a mentor to him, adding that the Hall of Famer's «mentality» is what he tries to emulate most.

«We have conversations about my role and stuff like that,» he said. «It's next game up. If you have a bad game, once you get out of the shower, it's next game.»

Castle, who also had five assists, became the