The San Antonio Spurs stumbled into the All-Star Break after they were outgunned 116-93 by the Dallas Mavericks yesterday. Spurs' top pick Victor Wembanyama lit up the court with 26 points, but that didn't save them from their eighth loss in nine games, as reported by Fox San Antonio.
While Wembanyama got off to a hot start, the rest of the Spurs cooled down in the second and third quarters. At one point enjoying a comfortable lead, the Mavericks managed to end the first half ahead by five, vanishing any trace of San Antonio's early dominance, according to information obtained by Sports Illustrated. Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic scored a combined 61 points, with Irving bagging 34 and Doncic, who left in the fourth clutching his neck after treatment, adding 27.
The Mavericks hit their stride in the second quarter, erasing what was once a 15-point deficit. They held the Spurs to just 14 points in the decisive third quarter, blowing the game wide open and securing a 29-point lead, as Fox San Antonio reports. Doncic and Irving's offensive showcase turned the game into a rout, overshadowing Wembanyama's solid performance.
Dallas' recent acquisition Daniel Gafford, coming from Washington, pitched in with a second consecutive double-double, grounding 10 points and 10 rebounds. It was a game that left the Mavericks with a six-game winning streak and elevated expectations as they head into the All-Star break, as the Spurs found themselves buried in a hole they could not dig out of mentioned by Sports Illustrated.
The Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich, in a statement obtained by Fox San Antonio, alluded to the team's poor three-point shooting: "In today's league, you can't be 10 for 40 (on 3-pointers) and have a decent chance to win a game." He went on to praise the Mavericks' star duo: "I thought Luka and Kyrie, you know, they played like Hall of Fame players." Meanwhile, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd had some words of encouragement for Wembanyama, saying after Irving's impressive basket over the rookie, "Victor didn't know what to do. Kai knew exactly what he was doing."
As the NBA heads into its annual All-Star festivities, the Spurs will look to regroup during the break, currently staring down the barrel of a long Rodeo road trip post-celebrations. Their next challenge will be in Sacramento, a week from Thursday, while the Mavericks will bask in the glory of their current hot streak.
