Overview
- The 20-year-old rookie finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four blocks on 11-of-15 shooting, becoming the first rookie center with a 30-point triple-double and the first rookie to record a triple-double this season.
- Queen’s third quarter produced 21 points and five assists on perfect shooting with no turnovers, a rarity ESPN Research says only a few players have achieved in the play-by-play era.
- San Antonio won 135-132 after No. 2 pick Dylan Harper hit the go-ahead layup with 9.1 seconds left and Queen missed a potential winner from the top of the arc; New Orleans dropped to a league-worst 3-23.
- Interim coach James Borrego called it a “special night,” and Jose Alvarado backed Queen after the late miss, saying the Pelicans would take that shot again.
- The performance renewed debate over the Pelicans’ unprotected 2026 first-rounder sent to Atlanta to draft Queen at No. 13, even as figures like Richard Jefferson now suggest he could merit future Team USA consideration if his rise continues.