The New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs faced off in what turned out to be a nail-biter on Sunday night. Spurs star DeMar DeRozan had a chance to tie the game with a three-pointer, but Pelicans guard Eric Bledsoe proved why he's one of the best defenders in the league with a game-winning swat.

Peep the clip below to see Bledsoe's perfect timing and awareness. He knew that DeRozan will be the triggerman for the Spurs. Even before DeRozan rose up for the shot, notice how Bledsoe kept a close eye on him (h/t NBA TV on Twitter):

This is one of the main reasons why the Pelicans agreed to swap Jrue Holiday for Bledsoe. While Holiday is a great defender himself, Bledsoe too has two NBA All-Defensive Team selections in his resume. The guard can flat out defend. And as the adage goes, it's defense that wins championships.

Bledsoe finished with seven points and two rebounds in 28 minutes of action. It wasn't the greatest offensive night for him, but he made it up with that game-winning defensive play. Reigning Most Improved Player of the Year Brandon Ingram led all scorers with 28 points along with 11 rebounds and six assists.

Zion Williamson chipped in 18 points, 11 rebounds, and five steals. Lonzo Ball had 16 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Finally, Josh Hart added 12 points and 10 rebounds from the bench.

The Pelicans improved to 2-1 on the season with the win. While there's a ton of games left to play, Pelicans fans should be very pleased with their team's performance. Bledsoe might be new to the team but his lack of playing time with the core group won't be much of an issue.