Spurs
Spurs Pull Away in the Fourth, Turning 18 Mavericks Turnovers Into 26 Points
San Antonio beat Dallas 122-106 at American Airlines Center. The game was tied up late in the third, then the Spurs outscored the Mavericks 30-17 in the fourth. Both teams are 1-2, with the Spurs 11th in the West and the Mavericks 12th.
By the Hoops Nightly Desk · updated 3 h ago01The story of the nightThe fourth quarter decided itThis was close for three quarters.
This was close for three quarters. The Spurs led 32-31 after one and 68-60 at the half, after a 36-point second quarter. Dallas won the third 29-24 and trimmed the score to 92-89 going into the fourth. Then the offense stalled. The Mavericks scored 17 in the final quarter while San Antonio put up 30. The Spurs built a biggest lead of 23, and the Mavericks never led by more than 6. The two teams traded the lead 14 times, but the last quarter ended any real chance of a comeback.
02Wembanyama leads a balanced Spurs attackVictor Wembanyama led all scorers with 23 points.
Victor Wembanyama led all scorers with 23 points. He added 7 rebounds and 4 blocks, shot 9 of 18, and finished a team-best +32 in 28.9 minutes. Dylan Harper scored 22 on 9-of-18 shooting with 3 threes. De'Aaron Fox had 19 points, 9 assists and 3 steals. Stephon Castle matched his 19 points and added 8 assists and 3 steals. Four starters scored at least 19. Julian Champagnie gave them 12 off the bench, with 3 threes and 3 blocks. San Antonio assisted on 34 baskets.
03Turnovers and the three-point lineThe paint was nearly even.
The paint was nearly even. The Spurs scored 64 inside and the Mavericks 62. The gap came from turnovers and long shots. Dallas gave the ball away 18 times and San Antonio scored 26 points off those mistakes. The Mavericks scored 12 off the Spurs' 12 turnovers. The Spurs also made 15 of 42 threes, against 11 of 28 for Dallas. San Antonio had 12 steals to Dallas's 8. Dallas shot better overall, 51.1% to 47.5%, and won the fast-break count 28-15. It was not enough to offset the giveaways. The Spurs also made 11 of 16 free throws, while Dallas made 5 of 8.
04Dallas gets bench scoring but not enough elseThe Mavericks' bench outscored San Antonio's 56-28.
The Mavericks' bench outscored San Antonio's 56-28. Sergio de Larrea scored 21 on 9-of-15 shooting, with 3 threes, but committed 4 turnovers. Marcus Sasser added 12 points and 5 assists. Daniel Gafford had 12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. P.J. Washington scored 12 and Zaccharie Risacher 11, but both were well in the red in plus-minus. Max Christie shot 2 of 9 and finished -22. Morez Johnson Jr. had 4 turnovers in 12.1 minutes. The Mavericks also lost the rebounding battle 56-50.
05What it means in the standingsBoth teams sit at 1-2, but the mood is different.
Both teams sit at 1-2, but the mood is different. The Spurs are 11th in the West and have won 1 straight. They have a 1-2 mark over their last 10, the same as Dallas. Their win came with a deep rotation and a strong closing quarter. The Mavericks are 12th in the West and have lost 1 straight. They have the bench scoring and fast-break speed to stay in games. Turnovers and the end-of-game offense are the clear problems to fix. The two clubs have no earlier meeting this season.
A
A-
B+
B+
D