Takeaways: Fox Returns As Spurs Fend Off Pelicans

SAN ANTONIO – The crowd knew the moment was coming.

When De’Aaron Fox's name was introduced during pregame introductions, the Frost Bank Center crowd gave him the kind of ovation reserved for stars returning home. By the end of the night, that energy had turned into celebration as he lifted the San Antonio Spurs to another home win.

With the win, San Antonio improved to 5-0 at home for the first time since the 2015-16 season and won their second consecutive game.

Let's get straight into the three takeaways from the Spurs' win over New Orleans on Saturday.

A Fox Returns

As mentioned, De'Aaron Fox made his highly anticipated debut on Saturday night after weeks on the sidelines as he recovered from a hamstring injury that forced him to miss all of training camp and the preseason.

Fox's return ignited the Spurs almost immediately as they played with pace from the opening tip. He erupted in the second quarter — rattling off 13 straight points in a span of less than three minutes, hitting step-back threes and floaters in traffic.

"I think a lot it is me going out there and having that chemistry," Fox said of his second quarter. It's just going out there and finding a rhythm with the guys and not break their rhythm. I feel like we've played well, and for me, it's going out there and try to help the team win."

With the Spurs holding onto a lead in the fourth quarter, Fox did what he was brought to the Alamo City to do: seal wins. With less than a minute to go, he drove down the New Orleans defense, made a step-through, and scored an 11-foot floater to put the Spurs up five points with 29 seconds left in regulation.

“He’s done it plenty of times," Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said. "And it’s good to have him back on the court. Hopefully, we can just continue to build, because there’s nothing like a real game.”

Steph Builds His Castle

Stephon Castle continues to grow in his second season in the NBA, and Saturday night saw him build off Friday's performance by scoring and sharing the ball.

Castle finished with 14 points and dished out 14 assists, giving him nearly 30 helpers in the last two games. He and Fox took turns handling point guard duties, which makes sense because of the pending three-guard lineup when Dylan Harper returns from injury.

The second-year guard really spread the ball around well, as the assist total indicates. The most interesting stat? He only had two turnovers. If he is going to handle the ball that much, he will want to stay on the positive side of 2 to 1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

"Steph has a great balance," Fox said of Castle. "He's learning, and when he plays like this, it is hard for us to lose."

The New Formula

For San Antonio, this game wasn’t just about numbers — it was about identity. With Fox back, the offense had structure again: quicker decisions, cleaner spacing, a sense of control in crunch time. Wembanyama’s rebounding and rim protection covered the other end, giving the Spurs a formula that felt sustainable.

"He's been around the league now for almost a decade, been in All Star," Johnson said of Fox. "He's been in the playoffs. He knows what things are supposed to look like and feel like and execute, and so it's good when you can have someone that has the experience."

The Spurs have quietly won seven of their first nine games, their only two losses coming in Phoenix and Los Angeles. The Pelicans left San Antonio knowing they’d made the Spurs earn it — and knowing that Trey Murphy’s 41-point night could’ve stolen the show if not for Fox’s return.

As the final buzzer sounded, Fox raised a hand toward the crowd before disappearing down the tunnel, the grin on his face matching the sound of Frost Bank’s roar. For one night, the Spurs looked whole again — and maybe, for the first time this season, like the team they’ve been building toward.