The last time San Antonio came to Dallas for an early-season showcase, Victor Wembanyama stole the show with 40 points and 15 rebounds, spoiling Cooper Flagg’s NBA debut. Saturday was supposed to give Flagg another chance at Wembanyama, this time with Kyrie Irving beside him.

That matchup never happened. Flagg sat out with a mild left shoulder sprain after taking a hard foul in Friday’s win at Indiana. Irving, still being managed as he works his way back from a torn ACL, also rested on the second night of the back-to-back. What looked like a showcase for Dallas’ new star duo turned into a test of everyone else.

For three quarters, the Mavericks answered the challenge. Then the Spurs took over in the fourth, leaving American Airlines Center with a 122–106 win and their first victory of the season.

The final score makes Dallas’ night look more one-sided than it was. The Mavericks trailed by 14 in the third quarter before rookie Sergio de Larrea hit a baseline jumper to put them ahead 85–84. They were still within three heading into the fourth. If you’d told Dallas before tipoff that their makeshift lineup would have the reigning West champs sweating with 12 minutes left, they probably would’ve taken that.

An Unexpected Answer Off the Bench

De Larrea was a big reason Dallas stayed in the game. With Irving out, he stepped in to help run the offense and finished with a team-high 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting. He also knocked down three of his four 3-point attempts, grabbed five rebounds, and handed out four assists. Marcus Sasser added 12 points and five assists, and Daniel Gafford finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.

For a while in the second quarter, Wembanyama was the surprising quiet one. He had just one point until midway through the period and Dallas had no problems finding ways to get inside. The Mavericks scored 46 first-half points in the paint, a franchise high for a half in the play-by-play era. After all the pregame talk about Wemby making the rim feel off-limits, Dallas attacked it anyway, even without Flagg or Irving.

Wembanyama eventually got going. A pair of alley-oop dunks helped him get to 12 points by halftime, and he finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks. San Antonio also got 22 points from Dylan Harper and 19 apiece from De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. Dallas made Wemby work early, but the Spurs had enough firepower to keep things moving while he found his rhythm.

The Fourth Quarter Told the Story

San Antonio opened the fourth quarter on a 17–5 run. Dallas scored just 17 points in the period, and a game that had been separated by three points turned into a 16-point loss. Both teams were playing on the second night of a back-to-back, but the Mavericks were missing the engine of their offense. Coach Dusty May knew his team just didn't have enough down the stretch:

We made it very, very interesting and ultimately just felt like we probably ran out of gas late.

That’s part of the story, but not all of it. Dallas shot 51.1% from the field and scored 62 points in the paint. Finding decent looks wasn’t really the issue. Holding onto the ball and finishing defensive possessions were. The Mavericks turned it over 21 times, leading to 26 San Antonio points. The Spurs also pulled down 15 offensive rebounds and won the second-chance points battle 25–10. May said those extra possessions helped fuel San Antonio’s late run.

That’s what makes this one so frustrating for Dallas. The Mavericks found an unexpected way to score against a defense built around Wembanyama, and they got a terrific game from a rookie who was suddenly asked to do a whole lot more. De Larrea gave May something real to work with. But every loose ball and extra Spurs possession chipped away at what had otherwise been a really strong shooting night.

The rematch everyone wanted can wait. De Larrea made this one worth watching anyway. For Dallas, the next step is finding a way to bring that same fight for all 48 minutes.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com.

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