Mavericks: 2 studs and 1 dud from win over Spurs in San Antonio

The Dallas Mavericks faced the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 3 on the second night of a back-to-back. Superstar Luka Doncic had his first 30-point game, but the Mavs fell to the Heat on Tuesday night. Dallas was looking to bounce back against their in-state rival.

It was the second meeting of the season between the Mavs and Spurs. Dallas picked up a home win over San Antonio on Oct. 28 behind a 25-point performance from Luka. The Mavericks were looking to make it seven wins in the last nine games over Gregg Popovich’s team.

Kristaps Porzingis and Maxi Kleber were both out on Nov. 3, and Reggie Bullock was injured in the first quarter and was unable to return. The shorthanded Mavs trailed after three quarters and were on the second night of a back-to-back, but they fought back to grab their fifth win of the season. Who stepped up in San Antonio?

2 studs and 1 dud in Dallas Mavericks win over Spurs in San Antonio

The Mavs needed Tim Hardaway Jr. to step up with KP out, and the 6’5 wing delivered on Wednesday night. He scored 23 points in 36 minutes as Dallas outscored San Antonio by 18 when he was on the floor.

Luka Doncic had a massive line in San Antonio as he finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in his 36 minutes. It was not Luka’s best night, but he keeps putting up monster numbers.

Those two were not the two best Dallas Mavericks in the 109-108 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 3. Here is a look at two studs and one dud from that contest.

Dallas Mavericks stud in second win of season over Spurs: 2. Jalen Brunson

The Mavs put the ball in Brunson’s hands in the fourth quarter as they were exploiting a mismatch against Doug McDermott, and the fourth-year guard delivered with 13 points in the final 12 minutes to lift Dallas to victory. See one of his makes below.

Brunson made his second straight start, and he delivered one of the best performances of his career. The 25-year-old finished with 31 points, ten rebounds, two assists, and two steals on nine of 17 shooting from the field and 12 of 15 on his free throws. The Mavericks outscored the Spurs by 13 points in his 36 minutes on Wednesday night.

Brunson is taking another step forward this season after being in the running for Sixth Man of the Year in 2021. He had 25 points in his first start against the Heat and followed up with his massive night versus the Spurs. JB is playing more minutes and will be a key contributor for Dallas all season long.

Jalen Brunson proved he can take over in the fourth quarter and win the Dallas Mavericks a game, which is key as teams try to take the ball out of Luka Doncic’s hands late. Expect JB to continue improving as the season progresses.

Dallas Mavericks dud in second win of season over Spurs: 1. Willie Cauley-Stein

The Mavs needed big men to step up with Kristaps Porzingis and Maxi Kleber out with injuries. Cauley-Stein has been the second unit center this season, and Dallas needed rim protection and rebounding from the seven-footer as the Spurs went small.

Trill failed to deliver on Wednesday night as he played just ten minutes. He had two rebounds, one assist, and two fouls, plus he missed his only field goal attempt as the Mavericks were outscored by 13 points during his brief time on the floor.

The off night continued a season-long trend for Willie Cauley-Stein. Coming into the Nov. 3 contest, he was averaging just 2.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game. The 28-year-old has yet to find his rhythm in new head coach Jason Kidd’s system.

It will be interesting to see if he remains in the rotation when the Mavericks get healthy. Kidd has options, and the Mavericks had more success playing small in the early going.

Cauley-Stein’s struggles in San Antonio opened the door for coach Kidd to go deeper into his bench, and the Hall of Fame point guard found the answer on Wednesday night by inserting Boban Marjanovic into the game.

Dallas Mavericks stud in second win of season over Spurs: 1. Boban Marjanovic

The Mavs top two rim protectors were out on Wednesday night. Fans were hoping Kristaps Porzingis would return from his back injury, but he was still not ready to face the Spurs. Coach Jason Kidd started the game small with Jalen Brunson in place of KP, but Dallas was struggling to stop San Antonio.

Kidd turned to Bobi as he was searching for a paint presence, and the 7’4 big man delivered. He turned the game by producing 17 points, five rebounds, and one block in 15 minutes of action. Marjanovic shot eight of ten from the field as the Mavericks outscored the Spurs by 17 during his time on the floor.

San Antonio struggled to stop Marjanovic because of his sheer size and soft touch in the paint. The Mavs would not have picked up the win on Wednesday night without Boban. Credit to him for staying ready and making a massive impact when his number was called.

The Dallas Mavericks grabbed a difficult road win on the second night of a back-to-back against the division rival San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 3. Credit to the team for bouncing back after a decisive home loss to the Heat on Tuesday. Hopefully, the Mavs can build on this win and get healthy. Stay tuned to The Smoking Cuban for all the latest on the team.