Coming off a victory against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Spurs battled the Dallas Mavericks for the final time this season. Stephon Castle was ruled out, but Victor Wembanyama returned from his rib contusion. The Spurs started the game hot, outscoring the Mavs 37-26 in the first quarter. However, the Mavs fought back and outscored the Spurs 39-31 in the second. Wemby and Cooper Flagg were exchanging buckets, and the second half looked to be a shootout. Wemby and the Spurs had other plans. They
outscored the Mavs 40-28 in the third, and carried a 15-point lead into the fourth. Wemby scored his 30th point in 20 minutes and came out of the game. However, he checked back in for six more minutes to finish the job. He finished with 40 points in 26 minutes, and the Spurs’ supporting cast handled the Mavs for the rest of the fourth. The Spurs ultimately won 139-120.
Victor Wembanyama dropped 40 points (14-23 FG, 10-11 FT), 13 rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and a steal in just 26 minutes. With this game being his 65th, Wemby has officially secured eligibility for awards. He could have played lazily and sat in the corner for 20 minutes, but that is not who Wemby is. He made it a mission to put up an MVP-type stat line, knowing he would only get limited minutes. The Mavs could not guard him. How poetic is it to start the season by dropping 40 on the Mavs, and possibly end the regular season by dropping 40 on them again? Wemby is now likely to be awarded Defensive Player of the Year, All-NBA First Team, and All-Defensive First Team. Not bad for his third season in the league.
POWER THROUGH! Wemby drives through both Ryan Nembhard and Marvin Bagley III for the slam!
WELCOME TO THE SPACE JAM! On the fastbreak, Wemby takes off from just inside the paint and skies for the one-handed slam!
Another angle!
SPIN CYCLE! Wemby spins off of Moussa Cisse and throws it down with the left hand!
SPIN CYCLE x2! This time, Wemby catches the ball in the paint and immediately spins off of Cisse for the layup off the glass!
Bullet dime! Wemby rifles a pass to a wide-open Carter Bryant, who swishes the three!
AND-ONE! Wemby drives past Dwight Powell, takes contact, and finishes off the glass for the and-one!
De’Aaron Fox dropped a double-double: 18 points and 10 assists to go along with one rebound. Fox started off slow, dropping only four points in the first half. However, in the third quarter, he caught fire and dropped 14 points. When Fox drains at least two shots in a row, look out. The one constant for him throughout the game was his assists. He threw lobs, tossed dimes to shooters, and was a playmaker on the fastbreak. Like the Blazers game, this is a Fox performance the Spurs are looking forward to come playoff time.
Timing is key! Fox lobs a pass into Wemby deep in the paint, then Wemby catches it and throws it down!
High-flyer! Fox catches the pass off the curl and detonates with a tomahawk slam!
Keldon Johnson dropped 17 points, six rebounds, and two assists. KJ feasted on the Mavs’ bench players. He fought his way into the paint and threw up his usual share of hook shots. His infectious energy has helped this team’s chemistry since the start of the season, and it will only grow louder come playoff time. Look for him to have a big performance this Sunday to solidify his case for Sixth Man of the Year.
This game could have gotten interesting in the third. The Mavs’ scoring pace was high, and while the Spurs were matching buckets, it was in the team’s best interest to put them away as early as possible. Wemby solidified his case for DPOY and MVP, and six other players finished in double figures. With one game remaining, it remains to be seen if the Spurs will rest players to get ready for the playoffs next weekend, or to try to defeat the Nuggets so that the Lakers could move up to the 3rd seed (if the Lakers beat the Jazz). Regardless, Spurs fans cannot wait for the team’s first playoffs in seven seasons.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs close out the regular season against the Denver Nuggets this Sunday at 7:30 P.M. (CST) on ESPN/FDSN-SW. Thank you to all who have been reading these articles during the season!
