By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Dallas Mavericks finally ended their four-game losing streak after dominating the San Antonio Spurs, 110-93, in the ongoing NBA regular season on November 17, 2024.
Eager to end their string of disappointing losses, the Mavericks capitalized on the absence of Victor Wembanyama who was sidelined due to a knee injury.
Without the presence of their towering anchor, the Spurs gave up a bunch of paint points and allowed Dallas to dominate the shaded lane.
The star duo of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic attacked the San Antonio interior at will, combining for 38 points in just a limited window of playing time.
Despite San Antonio’s hot start, Dallas was able to recover late in the second quarter after consecutive baskets from Doncic, Irving, and Daniel Gafford.
Gafford was also efficient from the floor and top-scored all the Dallas frontcourt members with 22 points while also collecting seven rebounds.
The athletic center threw down four alley-oop dunks and spearheaded the massive Dallas rally in the third where they dropped their highest-scoring quarter.
During that 12-minute span, the Mavericks scored a total of 38 points compared to San Antonio’s 18, the turning point in the game.
Dallas then smelled blood in the fourth and relentlessly continued their driving clinic over the loose San Antonio interior defense.
With the game getting out of hand, the Spurs decided to wave the white flag with five minutes still remaining in the fourth by pulling out all of their starters.
Irving equalized Gafford’s offensive production alongside eight rebounds and six assists while Doncic tallied 16 markers, six boards, and six dimes.
