Spurs Stumble as Short-Handed Mavs Steal 133-129 Win
Despite having only eight active players on their roster the Dallas Mavericks were able to rally from behind and outlast the Spurs 133-129 Monday night for a much needed road win at the Frost Bank Center.
Win Snaps Five Game Skid
The win snaps a five game skid and gives the Mavs a two game lead over the Phoenix Suns, maintaining their hold on the 10th and final play-in spot in the Western Conference.
Harrison Barnes scored 29 points for the Spurs, and Keldon Johnson had 28. Devin Vassell finished with 24 points in the loss. Spencer Dinwiddie paced the Mavs with 28 points with Klay Thompson chipping in 26 points for the depleted Mavericks.
Although the Spurs shot 52% from the field and 41% from three, they were a dismal 14-24 (58%) from the free throw line.
Vassell and Johnson Pass Sean Elliott
On a more positive note, both Vassell and Johnson moved ahead of Sean Elliott on the franchise’s career 3-pointers list. Vassell surpassed Elliott for sixth with his first 3-pointer, and Johnson’s fourth 3 moved him past Elliott for seventh. Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili is the franchise leader with 1,495.
Team Now 3-8 Since Losing VDub
Sitting at 13th in the West and definitely on the outside looking in at the playoffs, the Silver and Black are on a three game skid. The team is now 3-8 since losing VDub for the rest of the season due to a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) diagnosis. His last game was against the Celtics before the All Star break. On the season the team is 26-37.
What was supposed to be an acceleration of the rebuild process for the Spurs after acquiring All-NBA guard De’Aaron Fox has turned into a nightmare for the team. Prior to his injury the Spurs were one of three teams; Phoenix and Milwaukee being the other two, with a duo averaging at least 25 points apiece with the addition of Fox.
Fox for his part has definitely suffered without VDubs on-court presence. While still impressive, his scoring numbers are down to 23 points per game as he’s been expected to do more in Wemby’s absence.
With 19 games left the Spurs are once again jockeying for draft lottery position. It’s also an opportunity to evaluate some of the other talent on the team and hopefully make some moves in the offseason to shore up VDub’s supporting cast.
The squad will get an opportunity to right the ship Wednesday at home against the Mavericks in the second game of a home-home stand with their neighbors up the highway.
Upcoming Games:
Wed, Mar 12 vs (10)Dallas(33-33)
7pm
Fri, Mar 14 vs (14)Charlotte(16-48)
7pm
Sat, Mar 15 vs (14)New Orleans (17-48)
730pm
Mon, Mar 17 @ (3)LA Lakers (40-23)
930pm
Wed, Mar 19 vs (3)New York (40-23)
7pm
