Steady. Perhaps, it defines Harrison Barnes' time with the San Antonio Spurs better than any other term. The 33-year-old forward has yet to miss a game since joining the Silver and Black in the summer of 2024. His veteran presence has helped guide one of the youngest rosters in the NBA. He scores in double figures most nights while shooting at or above 50 percent. Steady, though, doesn't aptly describe Barnes' performance against the Memphis Grizzlies.
A day after finding out they'd be without Victor Wembanyama for probably the next month and hours after learning reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle would likely be out for a couple of weeks as well, Barnes scored the game's only seven points during a critical two and a half minute stretch late that propelled San Antonio to a shorthanded victory.
The first of those points gave the Spurs a 102-101 lead with 2:13 remaining in the game. They came on a sweeping hook shot as Barnes made his way from the three-point line to the baseline and then into the lane.
“Hey man, every once in a while, you throw out some things,” Barnes said about the attempt that's normally not a part of his arsenal. “But, it felt good. It felt good.”
The Spurs wouldn't trail again on their way to a 111-101 victory.
Harrison Barnes details dominance down the stretch for the Spurs
The former North Carolina star's 23 points against Memphis ranked second behind only De'Aaron Fox's 26. Following his Kareem Abdul-Jabbar impression, Barnes drove into the lane from just inside the opposite sideline for a fade-away jumper that put the Spurs up three. A 3-pointer with 53.2 seconds left concluded the Barnes run that essentially put the Grizzlies away.
“It was a good stretch. Just trying to figure out just different ways,” Barnes shared before pivoting to the contest's big picture.
“Guys stepping up, doing different things to win, and that was just one of the shots.”
Earlier in that fourth quarter, the 14th-year forward drove the lane for his most emphatic bucket of the night.
“I haven't had that many dunks this season. That came out of nowhere, honestly,” Barnes admitted. “It really did. I didn't think I was going to get the angle to go left and then I did, and then just kind of jumped, and I was just up there.”
The former Golden State Warrior and Sacramento King averaged nearly 20 points per game while with the Dallas Mavericks in between those two other stints. Thanks in part to averaging between 12 and 13 points per outing in San Antonio, Barnes' career scoring average is 13.9.
With Wembanyama, Castle, and Dylan Harper – the second overall pick of this summer's draft – all out, that didn't matter much vs. Memphis.
“Anytime you go to the gym, you always work to be in those positions.” Barnes shared. “You may not be in those positions for 30 games, but you always work to have that ready and available.”
The Aimes, Iowa native has started every single game the Spurs have played since the start of last season. Not many have proven more spectacular than his most recent one.
