In the first quarter of Wednesday's game between the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, it was impossible not to think about the future. At least a little.
A future where Victor Wembaneyama and his oversized step-back 3-point shot and his threatening shot-blocking ability continue to improve and continue to lead the Mavericks four times each season.
Because, listen. Wenbanyama and the Spurs punctured the Mavericks for the first six minutes of the game. no mistake. He did things that a player of his stature wouldn't be able to do. He did things that backed up the hype, the generational talent tag, and a highly sought after first overall selection.
He did something that will probably make the Mavericks nervous for the next 10 or 20 years.
That's a matter for another night. Or year.
Because, aside from a Wenby-led opener, Wednesday's Mavericks did something that explains why they're in one of the hottest periods in basketball (a period that brings the league's best winning streak into the All-Star break). This is because he did. ) After the calendar changed to February.
Kyrie Irving (34 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists) and Luka Doncic (27 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists) powered through the second and third quarters, helping Dallas overcome an early double-digit lead at 116-93. We won against the Spurs. .
The win was the Mavericks' sixth in a row and eighth in their last 11 games. Currently, only the league-leading Boston Celtics (43-12) have a winning streak as long as Dallas.
“We're coming together,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “We're starting to get healthy.”
Now, let's go back to the first quarter. San Antonio led Dallas 20-10 after the first quarter with Wenbanyama (26 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks). His line back then looked like this: 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks — one of which was on top of a Doncic-to-P.J. Washington alley-oop. His presence alone in the paint clearly impacts the Mavericks' decision-making and offensive rhythm. He used his 7-foot-4 frame and outside shooting touch to toy with Dallas' rookie big man rotation on offense.
Irving then took over.
After a scoreless first quarter, Irving led San Antonio to 17 points in the second quarter and nine more in the third. The rest of Dallas followed suit, outscoring the Spurs 63-33 in those two periods. Dallas, trailing by nine points at the start of the second quarter, extended its lead to 26-18 and took its first lead of the game on Josh Green's 3-pointer with 2:59 left in the first half. The Mavericks (32-23) scored the final 15 points of the second quarter and opened the third with a 15-5 run.
Dallas led by as many as 24 points in the third quarter. A lot of that can be attributed to Irving's aggression and confidence.
He challenged Wenbanyama at the rim and sank a floater over the outstretched arm of the febrile rookie to pull Dallas within two points of San Antonio in the second quarter. He ran under Wembaneyama's basket in the third quarter and scooped a reverse layup from under the 20-year-old's imposing frame.
Wembangyama wore a puzzled expression as he trotted around in the backcourt.
Well, not many players can elicit that kind of reaction from a player who blossomed into one of the league's best shot blockers midway through his first season.
“Victor didn't know what to do,” Kidd said. “Kai knew exactly what he was doing.”
On Wednesday night, the Mavericks were as close to health as they've ever been. Doncic (broken nose) and Irving (sprained right thumb) had lengthy injury reports before the game, but both players played. Rookie center Derek Lively, who missed seven consecutive games after breaking his nose against the Orlando Magic on Jan. 29, returned, mask and all, and came off the bench.
Lively scored a game-high plus-22 points in 11 minutes in the first half. He finished at plus-25 in 17 minutes. He had eight points and five rebounds, blocked two shots and played aggressive defense, constantly challenging San Antonio's drivers near the rim.
“He gave us strength,” Kidd said. “Defensively and offensively, he was really great.”
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