The Dallas Mavericks faced the San Antonio Spurs in an I-35 rivalry game on Monday night. The Mavericks prepared for Monday night’s game by fighting the odds stacked high against them. The Mavericks defeated the Spurs 133-129 at Frost Bank Center. Dallas improved to 33-33 and snapped a five-game losing skid, while San Antonio fell to 26-37 and lost three straight games.
Spencer Dinwiddie led the Mavericks with 28 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Klay Thompson followed up with 26 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. Naji Marshall added 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Kessler Edwards had 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists. Max Christie scored 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. Dante Exum recorded 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist.
Dallas Mavericks-San Antonio Spurs Recap
The Dallas Mavericks ruled out Anthony Davis with a left adductor strain, Brandon Williams with left hamstring tightness, Daniel Gafford with a right knee sprain, Dereck Lively II with a right ankle stress fracture, Jaden Hardy with a right ankle sprain, Kai Jones with a left quad strain, Kyrie Irving with a torn ACL, Olivier-Maxence Prosper with a right wrist sprain, and PJ Washington Jr. with a right ankle sprain.
The San Antonio Spurs ruled out Charles Bassey with a left knee bone bruise, Jeremy Sochan with a left calf contusion, Riley Minix with a torn left shoulder labrum, and Victor Wembanyama with a deep vein thrombosis. The Spurs’ injury report wasn’t as large as the Mavericks’, but the two teams had a combined 13 players. The Spurs’ starting lineup featured Chris Paul, De’Aaron Fox, Devin Wassell, Harrison Barnes, and Bismack Biyombo.
The Mavericks’ starting lineup featured Dante Exum, Max Christie, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, and Kessler Edwards. Marshall has been on a tear on both ends of the floor. He has averaged 25.8 points and 10.5 rebounds, while shooting 52.6% from the field, over the last four games. He has been putting on a show, but he just wanted to win and not improve his stats.
The Spurs opened the first quarter scoring, but the Mavericks picked up the pace. Edwards had the first basket. Exum hit a corner three-pointer. The Spurs led 34-28 at the end of the first quarter. The Mavericks’ offense shined in the second quarter. Thompson had nine points. Dinwiddie received a technical foul and followed up with a three-pointer and an and-1 conversion. The Spurs settled for a 63-60 lead at halftime.
Both teams played their hearts out in the third quarter, but the Mavericks outscored the Spurs 41-38. Max Christie hit a crucial corner three-pointer. Harrison Barnes also converted an and-1. The score was tied 101-101 after three quarters. Both teams toned down the scoring in the fourth quarter but still shone. Exum hit a deep three-pointer. Stephon Castle went coast to coast for the jam. The Mavericks held on for a 133-129 win in regulation.
Mavericks-Spurs Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs’ game featured multiple highlights, such as Anthony Davis’ revelation of LeBron James’ offer before the big decision. Davis said, “When I got to LA, Bron wanted to give me the 23, but I was like, ‘I don’t want to take your number.” Davis added, “Then that second year, he went to 6 and he asked me if I wanted 23. And I was like, ‘I actually want to stay with 3. I want to go back to where it all started.'”
For the Mavericks, former two-way Center Kylor Kelley re-signed with the G League’s South Bay Lakers. Kelley only played 16 minutes over 11 games with the Mavericks. He previously played for the South Bay Lakers before signing with the Mavericks. He played with the Los Angeles Lakers during the preseason before being waived and signing with their G League team.
And, for the Spurs, their game against the Sacramento Kings was action-packed on Friday. De’Aaron Fox’s wife and former women’s basketball player, Recee Fox (nee Caldwell), exchanged heated words with Malik Monk. It’s unclear what started the heated courtside exchange, but it’s safe to say that Fox’s wife, Recee, wasn’t happy with Monk.
Final Thoughts
The Phoenix Suns smothered the Dallas Mavericks 125-116 amid another injury scare at American Airlines Center on Sunday afternoon. The Mavericks watched Dwight Powell and Kessler Edwards run into each other head-to-head late in the third quarter. Both players headed to the locker room, but Edwards, 24, returned to the game late in the fourth quarter. The Mavericks played most of the fourth quarter with just seven players.
Former NBA Guard Theo Pinson, who played for the Mavericks from 2021 to 2023, urged the team to throw the kitchen sink at the Suns to acquire Kevin Durant. Pinson said on the “Run Your Race” podcast, “You got to go get Kevin Durant this summer. It’s a must have. Understandably, you raised the ticket prices, alright well you need three stars if you want people to come to the game right.”
Pinson added, “The thing is the Mavs got a lot of assets they can use to get Kevin Durant, in my opinion. They’ve got three elite bigs in my opinion. They’re going to want one because they need a big. You’re not giving up Anthony Davis, so it’s either [Daniel] Gafford or [Dereck] Lively.” It’s not ideal for an NBA team to have three injury-prone stars in their 30s, but with the Mavericks’ current state, this could earn back the fanbase’s trust.
The Dallas Mavericks and Spurs will meet again in Frost Bank Center on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Central. Before the I-35 rivalry, San Antonio faced the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night. The Spurs lost to the Timberwolves 141-124 at Target Center. San Antonio fell to 26-36 and lost two games in a row, while Minnesota improved to 37-29 and won its fifth straight game.
