Victor Wembanyama posted 23 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks, guiding the San Antonio Spurs to a 122-106 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The win marked the first victory of the season for the Spurs, who avoided falling to an 0-3 start for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign. San Antonio had previously dropped a contest to Oklahoma City on Tuesday followed by a loss to Houston in Austin on Friday.
Dylan Harper contributed 22 points for the Spurs, while De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle each added 19 points in the effort. San Antonio initially built a 14-point advantage in the third quarter before surrendering the lead, allowing Dallas to climb back into contention. However, the Spurs regrouped to open the final period with a decisive 17-5 run over the first six minutes. They ultimately outscored the Mavericks 30-17 in the fourth quarter as visiting fans chanted inside the arena during the closing moments.
Wembanyama experienced a slow start to the evening, logging only one point until midway through the second period before energizing his squad with a pair of alley-oop dunks within a two-minute span. He closed out the first half with 12 points. As a team, the Spurs capitalized on second-chance opportunities by grabbing 15 offensive rebounds and outscoring Dallas 25-10 in second-chance points.
The Mavericks entered their home opener playing without two of their marquee players. Cooper Flagg, who earned Rookie of the Year honors last season, was sidelined with a shoulder injury sustained during Dallas’ victory at Indiana on Friday night and is scheduled to be reevaluated next week. Meanwhile, nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving was held out on the second night of a back-to-back sequence as he manages his return following a 19-month absence due to a torn ACL.
Despite the absences, rookie Sergio de Larrea stepped off the bench to lead the Mavericks with 21 points, converting 3 of 4 attempts from behind the arc. Dallas fell to a 1-2 record on the young season, with their starting five combining for just 50 points, led by P.J. Washington’s 12 points. The Mavericks did establish a notable franchise mark in the first half by scoring 46 points in the paint, setting a high since the play-by-play era began in 1997-98, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Looking ahead, the Spurs return home to host Sacramento on Tuesday night. The Mavericks will look to rebound on the road when they travel to face Miami on Monday.
