The Dallas Mavericks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 133-129 Monday night, stopping the losing streak at five and digging in their heels at the West’s 10th spot. Both teams are in shambles, but the I-35 rivalry is still alive and well.
Dallas wasn’t quite in “don’t be that team” territory, but their five-game losing streak and injury situation certainly made them favorable matchups for any other teams looking to put wins in their own columns.
All five Dallas starters scored in double digits. That, plus Spencer Dinwiddie’s team-leading 28 off the bench meant that six of Dallas’ eight players scored over ten apiece. Former Mav Harrison Barnes had himself a game and led all scorers with 29.
Finishing kick
The hardest part about being so overwhelmingly short handed is finding that extra gear when it’s “winning time.” In the modern parlance of the day, it’s perhaps best described as “locking in.” For Dallas, recently, just getting through a game with five players still on the court has not been a guarantee. However, in what was a highly competitive game on the road, it was the Mavericks who separated themselves in clutch time.
After San Antonio scored with 4:38 to go in the game and get the score within just one point, Dallas stayed the course, pushed the lead back up to seven at one point, and never let the Spurs take the lead.
Kessler Edwards career night
Edwards was one of three Mavs to score over 20 points tonight, ending with a career-high 22. But he wasn’t just shooting well—he also brought in a career-high 11 rebounds, topping the 10 he grabbed in a game back in 2021.
He was responsible for four of Dallas’ 10 offensive boards, which contributed to the Mavericks outsourcing the Spurs 24 to 17 in second-chance points. The only unfortunate stat on Edwards is that he now has one fewer games in which he’s eligible to play on his two-way contract.
Good game
The shocking headline coming out of this game is perhaps just how much it looked like a decent, competitive basketball game being played by two competent teams. Both teams are dealing with major injuries, some self-inflicted, others cosmically divined, but without that context, this had all the makings of a game that wouldn’t be embarrassing to be caught watching. Huzzah!
The lead see-sawed back and forth all game, rarely getting larger than five for either side. The turnovers were held in check. The shot-making was reasonable, with both sides surpassing 50 percent from the floor and Dallas near 41 percent from three. Even the free throws were essentially even.
With the way this season has gone, a good, entertaining game is the best you can hope for at this point. Luckily, these two teams will face off again on Wednesday, so maybe we’ll get another fun matchup. It’s all we’re left with at this point, after all.
