It wasn’t the prettiest of performances, but a few great defensive stretches were enough to give the Spurs their first win of the season. The production from the starters was simply impossible for a Mavericks team missing Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving to match, as San Antonio pulled away late en route to a 122-106 victory on the road.
While they had some dominant moments in the second half, the winless Spurs didn’t look as hungry as expected early on, showing both a lack of execution that wasn’t surprising from a tired team in the second game of a back-to-back, but also lacking the sense of urgency of a contender that lost a tough game the night before should show. Fortunately, they were facing a shorthanded opponent who had also played on Friday, so even during the sloppy moments, they stayed close on the scoreboard. Aside from a few good stretches from Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell, who took advantage of a zone defense by hitting midrange jumpers, there wasn’t much that stood out from a seemingly uninspired San Antonio squad in the opening frame. Despite missing their two best players, the Mavericks didn’t struggle to keep it close.
The lack of hustle plays, the poor decision-making that led to opponent fastbreak points, and the lazy defense that led to fouling were still there in the second quarter. The Mavs were getting help from their bench guys, especially Sergio De Larrea, while the Spurs were struggling to find a spark. An 8-2 run from the home team, punctuated by a big dunk by Daniel Gafford off an offensive rebound, allowed them to create some separation, and the concerns about the matchup turning into a trap game were starting to creep in. The timeout that followed that play changed everything. Whatever Mitch Johnson said worked, because the focus and the energy improved massively, especially from Victor Wembanyama, who didn’t look like himself earlier. San Antonio played harder and, thanks to their superior talent, went on a 25-11 run to close the half.
After the break, the Spurs seemed determined to turn the game into a blowout. The defense was creating turnovers or missed shots, and the Mavericks didn’t have any answers. Unfortunately, the execution just wasn’t good enough on the offensive end, neither in transition nor in the half-court, to truly pull away. The Silver and Black did secure a double-digit lead, but it didn’t last long. As the starters went to the bench, the second unit struggled to keep up the defensive pressure, and De’Aaron Fox couldn’t carry the offense by himself. The buffer that took so much effort to create disappeared quickly, as the Mavericks won the frame and trailed by just three heading into the final period. San Antonio still looked in control, but it felt like the Spurs had let the opportunity to walk away with an easy win pass.
A dominant fourth quarter showed that, while the floor of the team is not where it’s supposed to be, as Mitch Johnson said postgame, this version of the Silver and Black still has a high ceiling that it can reach when necessary, even when unfamiliar faces are asked to contribute. Tarris Reed Jr. got his first NBA minutes, showing that the coaching staff was looking for energy wherever it could find it, and the rookie responded. Unlike the rest of the game, the team didn’t desperately need Wembanyama when he was resting, and when the Alien returned to the court, the lead had actually grown to nine points. Great defense, timely outside shots, and a good stretch from Wemby sealed the win. It was arguably later than it should have been, but San Antonio got to rest its rotation players for the last three minutes, on their way to emerging victorious for the first time this season.
Play of the game
De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama are finally developing more chemistry in the pick-and-roll, which is a joy to watch.
Game notes:
- It was not a particularly good night for Wembanyama, despite what his impressive stat line in 29 minutes might suggest. Wemby has not looked as dominant as in past seasons so far and was subtly called out by Mitch Johnson for a lack of effort postgame. The Spurs still outscored the Mavericks by 32 points when he was on the floor, because his impact is almost always massive even when he doesn’t look spectacular, but we’ve still haven’t seen the real Wemby so far this season.
- De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle had remarkably similar stat lines, as they both finished with 19 points, three rebounds and three steals, while Fox had one more assist (nine) than the young guard. Both made their mark on defense at times, and while the veteran balanced scoring and playmaking better, the two were essential at different stretches on offense.
- The other two starters switched roles for one night. Devin Vassell had six assists (and no turnovers) but only hit one of his outside shots. Harper only had two assists, but he hit three outside shots. As long as the production is there, it doesn’t really matter who does what.
- Julian Champagnie and Keldon Johnson provided defense, some scoring, and much-needed energy off the bench, but the second unit wasn’t great as a whole. The lineups that feature Fox and four subs put too much pressure on the point guard to create and be the main point-of-attack defender, so Mitch Johnson might need to find a new strategy if the struggles continue.
- Relatedly, the decision to go with Reed Jr. in the fourth showed that the coaching staff is not actually scared to make tweaks when needed. Luke Kornet has had a rough start to the season and was terrible in Dallas, so the rookie got some minutes. Reed’s defense isn’t polished, but his rebounding and physicality should make him an alternative when the other option isn’t working out.
Next game: vs. Sacramento Kings on Tuesday
The schedule gets even softer for the Spurs, which should be 2-2 after hosting the lowly Kings, as long as they take them seriously enough.
