On Tuesday night, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the San Antonio Spurs on the road for their second straight win.
Dallas had won at home against the Denver Nuggets on Kyrie Irving's buzzer-beater, and they needed to carry that momentum into their game against the Spurs.
Despite having the worst shooting night of his career, Luka Doncic still found a way to complete a triple-double and lead the Mavs to victory.
Daniel Gafford and Derek Lively II played well in this game, combining for 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Dallas' big team continues to play at a high level, with Lively II in particular doing a great job slowing down Spurs rookie Victor Wembaneyama.
Wenbanyama had 12 points on 3-for-13 from the field with five turnovers. He also finished with 11 rebounds and six blocks, but Lively II, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Maxi Kleber all did a good job of slowing him down.
Dallas played physical with Wenbanyama all night and it was tough for him. Wembangyama looks uncomfortable when he has the ball in his hands, and Washington's defense against Wembangyama in the past two games is hard to overlook.
In the past two games between Dallas and San Antonio, Washington has been Wembaneyama's primary defender, but Wembaneyama's FG success rate was a pitiful 14.3 percent with a record of 1 win and 7 losses. Despite being much shorter than him, Washington made life difficult for him in Wembangyama.
Washington made sure to contest every shot Wembaneyama took and was physical when Wembaneyama tried to post up or pass him. If Washington lost a dribble, Gafford or Lively II were at the rim to counter.
When Lively II was at Wembang Yama, he was moving his feet and playing good defense without committing any fouls. Lively II didn't serve as Wembang Yama's primary defender for long, but in that time he did a solid job.
Overall, the Mavs have found a way to slow down one of the best rookies of all time, and Washington's recent efforts on defense should be commended. Making Wembaneyama uncomfortable is the key, and the Mavs may have found the blueprint to slow him down.
Check out the latest information on Derek Lively II, PJ Washington, and the Dallas Mavericks this season.
