The second of two straight matchups with the San Antonio Spurs (35-16) on Saturday will be the unveiling of the new-look Dallas Mavericks (19-32), for as long as this looks lasts, anyway.
Naji Marshall and Cooper Flagg had matching 32-point, six-rebound nights in Thursday’s 135-123 loss to the Spurs at American Airlines Center, and now the venue changes to the Frost Bank Center, where tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. CDT.
The Mavericks slowed Victor Wembanyama down in the second half of Thursday’s loss,
after he scored 20 points in the first half on his way to a team-high 29. Seven Spurs scored in double figures in Thursday’s game. San Antonio is second in the West and features one of the most potent defenses in the NBA, but the Mavericks were still able to force them into a close game at home, shooting better than 48% from the field and 38% from 2-point range in the loss.
Here are three storylines to watch for as the two-game home-and-home series shifts to San Antonio.
Gafford turns a corner
Daniel Gafford has quietly turned a corner in his last three games, posting double-doubles in each of the Mavericks’ last three losses. He had 16 points and 11 boards in Saturday’s 111-107 loss to the Houston Rockets, 10 and 12 in Tuesday’s 110-100 loss to the Boston Celtics and 16 and 10 on Thursday against the Spurs. He averaged just over seven points per game in January and just six in December, so its a promising stretch as Gafford tried to find his stride amid a tough 2025-26 season thus far.
Gafford was a candidate for trade before Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline, when Dallas was reportedly offered four second-round draft picks by the Atlanta Hawks, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The Mavs didn’t budge from their demand for a first-round pick in exchange for Gafford, and now he’s here to stay at least through the end of this season.
His new three-year contract kicks in next season, but his $17-million-per-year price tag is not prohibitive if the Mavericks still see Gafford as a fit for this team going forward. The last 30 games of this season will go a long way to figuring that out, and his recent stretch of positive impact
The new guys
Three of the four new Mavericks acquired in trade deadline deals are listed as probable to play against the Spurs the second time around. Tyus Jones, AJ Johnson and Marvin Bagley III could all make their first appearances in Mavericks uniforms at San Antonio on Saturday, while Khris Middleton, who was rumored to be a buyout candidate after the trade was first reported, is listed as doubtful.
Flagg, Marshall and Max Christie all played 38 minutes or more in Thursday’s loss as the Mavericks played with just 10 available on the roster. None of the new guys are likely to be a long-term solution for the Mavericks, but who knows, one or two may surprise us in the last 30 games of the year.
The Mavericks expressed interest in Jones in the off-season before settling for D’Angelo Russell when Jones got a better offer from the Orlando Magic. It will be interesting to see if he’s at least able to make a bigger impact on the roster than Russell did in his short tenure with the team.
Ride or die
The Flagg-Marshall one-two punch has been at least refreshing and at times sensational in recent games. Marshall went from trade candidate as the deadline approached to indispensable in the first game after the deadline. He has scored 30 or more points in a game five times in his six-year NBA career, all with the Mavericks. Two of those five have come in the last two weeks as Marshall has cemented himself into a core position riding shotgun with Flagg.
Marshall has spoken about Flagg’s recent scoring surge “inspiring” him to pick his game up. Co-GM Matt Riccardi told the media ahead of Thursday’s game that Marshall’s is a “perfect” fit alongside Flagg as the rookie takes his place at center stage for the Mavericks for the foreseeable future.
Whether any of this translates into a win at one of the NBA’s best teams on Saturday seems immaterial at this point. The vibes are at a high for 2025-26 with Marshall as Flagg’s wingman, even as Dallas seeks to break its current six-game losing streak.
How to watch
The Mavericks and the Spurs tip off at 5 p.m. CDT on Saturday from San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center. The game will be televised locally on KFAA Channel 29 and on sister stations throughout the Mavericks’ viewing area. It will also be streamed on Prime Video.
