One team had Kyrie Irving. The other wasn't.
All is well in Mavsland heading into the All-Star break as the Dallas Mavericks (32-23) defeated the Western Conference-worst San Antonio Spurs (11-44) 116-93 on Wednesday. . The Mavs got off to a slow start and pulled away in the second half, turning into a laughing stock thanks to Kyrie Irving's 34 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.
Luka Doncic overcame a cold first half to record 27 points, nine boards and eight assists. Rookie sensation Victor Wembaneyama led the Spurs with 26 points and nine rebounds in the loss.
The 93 points the Mavericks allowed were a season low, and one of those points was a giveaway. That's because there are four more statistics that may help fill in the picture behind what was a big win at American Airlines Center.
12: Wenby scores in the first 5 minutes of the game
It's easy to ignore the Mavericks' occasional slow starts, but San Antonio sensation Victor Wembaneyama paid the price for the Mavs' poor first quarter on Wednesday. He scored 12 points in the first five minutes of the game.
He made two 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the game, and Doncic drew a foul on a turnaround jumper to complete the 3-point play, putting San Antonio up 17-6 early with 7:34 left in the first half. gave the lead.
The Spurs extended their lead to 15 points on Tre Jones' floating jumper with five minutes left in the first, but the Mavs held on to within 32-25 at the end of the first. Wenbanyama would only score 14 more points in the remaining games.
18: Kyrie Irving scores on crucial second-quarter run
The Mavs were losing 44-33, but with just over eight minutes left until halftime, Kyrie Irving took matters into his own hands. Although he was scoreless on 0-of-3 shooting in the first game, he not only scored 17 points in the second game, but over the next eight minutes, he erased the Spurs' lead of 15 points. .
Irving looked around and realized that nothing the Mavs were doing offensively at the moment was working, creating a Mavericks run that ended the first half up 23-7. He scored or assisted on 18 of the 23 points the Mavericks scored against the run. With just under three minutes left in the first half, Josh Green hit a 3-pointer from the wing to give Dallas its first lead of the game at 51-50. Devin Vassell tied it at the free throw line, Green made another 3-pointer to put the Mavs ahead 54-51, and Dallas led 56-51 at the break.
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, 11, takes a shot past San Antonio Spurs guard Blake Wesley, 14, at American Airlines Center during the second quarter.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Irving led the Mavericks in the first half with 17 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Green, who entered the season shooting 41 percent from 3-point range, added eight points with some excellent timely shooting.
45-14: Mavs scoring advantage before and after halftime.
So the Mavericks ended the first half on a 23-7 run and carried some of that momentum into the third quarter. Dallas outscored San Antonio 22-7 in the first six minutes of the third set, bringing the total advantage to 45-14 in the 12-15 minutes after halftime.
And who was in charge? You guessed it. Irving scored nine of the Mavs' first 22 points at the end of halftime, including the highlight below, a driving reverse teardrop against Wembang Yama. Wenby got three blocks on the night, but couldn't account for Irving's creativity on that drive.
The Mavs' lead grew to 23 points, and Dallas led 88-65 at the end of the third quarter.
50-37: Dallas rebound edge.
Since Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington arrived in Dallas after the NBA trade deadline, the Mavs have outscored all three opponents by a combined 148-117. On Wednesday, Dallas upset San Antonio 50-37.
If you think about it, on Wednesday, Dallas' defense only allowed 41 points to the Spurs in the second half. Kyrie Irving's hero ball wasn't the only thing that won this game. It was a concerted effort by the Mavs, who shut out shooters, held the Spurs to just one shot per possession, and how the defense responded when they trailed by 15 points early. upon.
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