The San Antonio Spurs needed this one, and they got it in convincing fashion. After dropping their first two games, they steadied themselves with a 122-106 win over the Dallas Mavericks in a Texas showdown that offered a much clearer picture of what this team can be.
Victor Wembanyama set the tone for San Antonio, leading all scorers with 23 points to go with seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, and four blocks while shooting 50.0% from the floor and 2-6 from deep in 28 minutes. Dylan Harper added 22 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals on 50.0% shooting, including 3-8 from three, and De’Aaron Fox chipped in 19 points, three rebounds, nine assists, three steals, and one block while hitting 54.5% of his shots.
Dallas, meanwhile, leaned on Sergio de Larrea for most of its offense. He finished with 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists on 60.0% shooting and 3-4 from beyond the arc. Zaccharie Risacher posted 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks, and Daniel Gafford contributed 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two blocks.
The Mavericks were already short-handed before the game even tipped. Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving were ruled out, and that left San Antonio with a chance to take control early. The Spurs didn’t exactly run away with it right away, but they eventually found enough rhythm to pull away and avoid an early-season slide.
The biggest reason for the turnaround was Wembanyama looking like himself again. One game after scoring just 12 points on 7.7% shooting against the same opponent, he bounced back hard and looked much more like the player San Antonio expects.
He was active on both ends, attacked efficiently, and made life miserable for Dallas around the rim. His defensive presence helped open up the glass for the Spurs, who piled up 15 offensive rebounds.
That bounce-back matters because it followed his 25-point outing against the Rockets, making it easier to see Tuesday’s rough night as the outlier rather than the trend. On Wednesday, he looked fully back in command.
Just as important, the Harper-Fox pairing gave San Antonio something real to work with. There’s been plenty of talk about how the two guards fit together, but this game offered a strong answer.
Fox handled the playmaking load, Harper played off it, and the Spurs kept the offense moving. Together, they combined for 31 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists, five steals, and one block on 15-29 shooting.
The game stayed in the balance until the fourth quarter, when San Antonio finally separated itself. The Spurs tightened up defensively and held Dallas to 17 points over the final 12 minutes. They were sharper with the ball, cleaner in execution, and more controlled when it mattered most.
What stood out, too, was that some of their best work came while Wembanyama was on the bench. Tarris Reed Jr., Julian Champagnie, and Keldon Johnson helped keep the pressure on and gave the Spurs a much-needed lift in the closing stretch. That late push turned a competitive game into a comfortable win, and it was the kind of finish San Antonio badly needed after its rough start.
In Other News...
Spurs May Have Found Something Mavericks Fans Wont Like
San Antonio finally looked like a team that had found some footing, and it came at Dallas expense on a night when the Spurs were searching for their first win of the 2026-27 season. The energy level was different from their opening two losses, with head coach Mitch Johnson pointing to a sharper collective effort and a more consistent approach as the foundation for the turnaround.
For Mavericks fans, the frustrating part is that the Spurs did not stumble into this one, they seemed to earn it by doing the little things better. Johnson liked the way his team hustled, rebounded and defended, and he sounded convinced there is more to build on from here, which makes this feel less like a one-off and more like the first sign of a team finding its identity. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Suddenly Look Far Better Equipped Behind Kyrie Irving
The Mavericks entered the season with a clear question behind Kyrie Irving, and the early answer has at least looked more encouraging than expected. Dallas has added Walter Clayton Jr. and leaned on Sergio De Larrea and Marcus Sasser to stabilize the point guard minutes, giving the backcourt a different kind of energy and, more importantly, some real production off the bench.
De Larrea offered the loudest reminder in a recent game against the Spurs, flashing scoring touch and playmaking in a strong all-around effort. Sasser has also given Dallas useful minutes through the first few games, and together the two have helped the Mavericks look far better equipped in the spots where they were once most vulnerable. The bigger question now is whether that depth holds when the schedule gets tougher and the rotation tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Look Vindicated As Backcourt Pressure Builds Early
The Mavericks decision to slow-walk extensions for some of their young pieces looks a little more defensible after the first week of the season. Dallas has kept its options open with players such as Max Christie, who remains under contract control for a while longer with a player option in 2027-28, and the early returns have made the evaluation process feel even more important. Christie has had a rough opening stretch, and the broader backcourt picture has already started to shift as the season settles in.
At the same time, other guards are making their case for more of the spotlight. Marcus Sasser and Sergio De Larrea have both flashed enough early to keep the conversation moving, which is exactly the kind of internal pressure that can reshape a rotation before November gets too far along. For Dallas, the question is no longer just which young guards can help now, but which ones are forcing the front office and coaching staff to rethink how this backcourt is going to look. [Read more 🡒]