The Dallas Mavericks dropped a heartbreaker, losing 112-111 to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, a game that went down to the wire at Frost Bank Center. It was an absolutely wild ride, packed with incredible highs and brutal lows, ending with Victor Wembanyama scoring against Dallas in the first half and the Spurs finding a way to win it late.
The Stars’ Rollercoaster Night
Talk about a game of two halves! Cooper Flagg looked like someone stole his powers early on. He struggled in the first half, with shots he’d been making all year just not dropping. Coach Dusty May admitted Flagg “got lost in rebounding” early, but then the kid flipped the switch, turning it around big time in the second half. May praised his “great passes” and “really good floor game” after the break. Naji Marshall also came alive in the second half, sparking the Dallas comeback. May called Marshall “very good,” highlighting his “good decisions with the ball,” competitive nature, and active play on the glass. Even with those surges, Kyrie Irving, who played a valiant game, just couldn’t connect on the game-winner this time around.
May Breaks Down the Final Moments and Wemby’s Impact
Coach May was candid after the game. He gave credit where it was due, saying, “I thought we battled, competed in the second half. I thought we were much quicker to the basketball than we were in the first half.” He explained that they stopped challenging Wembanyama at the rim and started making “better decisions with the basketball.” On that nail-biting final shot, May detailed their plan: “I just wanted to give them a double gap. We had Fox on them, and wanted to get a drive middle and Coop cutting from the corner. Just felt like we had an advantage in space and probably attacked a little bit too late.” When it came to negating Wembanyama, May acknowledged the challenge. “Each game just is going to look a little bit different. We’ve got to just play the game in front of us,” he stated, noting that it took “all five of our guys and their activity on the glass” to contend with the Spurs’ wings and Wembanyama’s massive presence. The rookie phenom grabbed nine offensive rebounds, which May called “a lot.” Dallas did a better job “staying down” in the second half, but Wembanyama’s unique skill set still shone through. “When they are able to get their switches, and even when you defend it well and there’s tight spaces, they can just throw it so high above everyone else, and credit him, his spatial awareness and ability to catch it with one hand and redirect it into the rim,” May said. Ultimately, Wembanyama’s “tip-in and those plays” were his biggest possessions, coupled with a costly “open-court turnover” for Dallas.
This one stings. Losing by a single point, especially after battling back and having a look at the buzzer, is tough. For the Mavericks, the challenge is clear: figure out how to consistently put together two full halves of basketball and find that clutch bucket when it matters most.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mavs Moneyball.
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