Dylan Harper throws down a putback dunk as Spurs slam the Suns in preseason

SAN ANTONIO — Oct. 14, 2026 — Dylan Harper reached back for a miss and threw it down. The Spurs clipped the putback with a simple caption — the dunk party did not stop — and Frost Bank Center answered. San Antonio closed a 123-103 preseason win over Phoenix with Harper still on the floor in the three-guard group that also featured De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle.

the dunk party don't stop! 🥳

📺 DAZN, CWSA pic.twitter.com/poeHwlwZbr

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 15, 2026

The play that traveled

Harper’s finish was a classic second-chance slam: a miss near the rim, Harper gobbling the board and rising for a one-handed putback. The NBA also posted the sequence with teammate reactions, and highlight accounts pushed the same clip within minutes. It was the loudest Harper moment of a night that already belonged to Fox’s first Spurs preseason dunk and Victor Wembanyama’s block party.

What the box score shows

Harper finished with nine points on 4-of-11 shooting, including 1-of-2 from three, plus six rebounds and one assist in 23 minutes as a starter. Castle led the guards with 18 points on 14-of-15 free throws in 24 minutes. Fox, limited after hip tightness kept him out of earlier exhibitions, had nine points and four assists in 19 minutes before Harrison Barnes opened the second half in his place. Wembanyama posted 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and four blocks in 23 minutes.

San Antonio won the free-throw battle 30-of-35 to Phoenix’s 15 attempts, outrebounded the Suns 50-36 and blocked 10 shots in front of 18,354 fans. Harper’s putback sat in the middle of that pressure stretch — not a volume scoring night, but the kind of rim crash that fits why the Spurs keep starting him next to Fox and Castle.

Why it matters

Harper is still building his first full Spurs season identity in a crowded backcourt. Wednesday was not about usage; it was about finishing the play when Fox and Castle were already drawing help. Preseason closes Friday at home. The takeaway from the Suns game is simpler — when the ball bounced soft, Harper put it through the rim hard enough for the team account to call it a dunk party.