Spurs Defeat Mavericks 122-106 to Secure First Win of the Season
Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 23 points, while rookie Sergio de Larrea scored 21 points for a shorthanded Dallas squad.
The San Antonio Spurs secured their first victory of the NBA season on Saturday night, defeating the Dallas Mavericks 122-106 at the American Airlines Center. Playing in front of a sellout crowd of 19,555, the Spurs avoided their first 0-3 start since the 2008-09 season by outscoring the Mavericks 30-17 in the fourth quarter.
Dallas entered the matchup on the second night of a back-to-back following a win over the Indiana Pacers. The Mavericks played without several key contributors, including Cooper Flagg, who was sidelined with a left shoulder sprain, and Kyrie Irving, who sat out for injury management due to a left knee issue. Head coach Dusty May's roster was further depleted by the absences of Caleb Martin, Tarik Biberović, Santi Aldama, and Dereck Lively II.
Despite being shorthanded, the Mavericks erased a 14-point third-quarter deficit and claimed an 85-84 lead late in the period on a floater by rookie Sergio de Larrea. Dallas carried a narrow 92-89 advantage into the final quarter before San Antonio mounted a decisive surge.
The Spurs took control in the fourth quarter by opening with a 17-3 run. San Antonio made five three-pointers in the first six minutes and seven seconds of the final frame, pulling away to a game-high 23-point lead at 119-96. The Mavericks struggled down the stretch, shooting 7-of-22 in the fourth quarter and failing to attempt a free throw.
Victor Wembanyama paced the Spurs with 23 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and four blocks on 9-of-18 shooting. Dylan Harper contributed 22 points, De'Aaron Fox added 19 points and nine assists, and Stephon Castle chipped in 19 points and eight assists. San Antonio finished the night with 34 assists on 48 made field goals and capitalized on 21 Dallas turnovers to score 26 points.
For the Mavericks, rookie Sergio de Larrea starred off the bench with a team-high 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists in 33 minutes of play. Marcus Sasser, Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington each added 12 points for Dallas, which outscored San Antonio's bench 56-28 but ultimately ran out of gas late in the contest.
An unexpected spark for San Antonio came from rookie third-string center Tarris Reed Jr., who entered the game at the start of the fourth quarter with the Spurs clinging to a 92-89 lead. In a brief but high-energy stint of about six and a half minutes, Reed grabbed three rebounds, scored his first official NBA points on an alley-oop, and helped stretch the Spurs' advantage.
Both teams moved to a 1-2 record on the young season following the contest. San Antonio bounced back from a narrow 114-110 loss to the Houston Rockets, while Dallas suffered its first defeat since opening the week.