Late-Game Pressures Plague Mavs: Spurs Avoid Series Sweep
The Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday could have made franchise history with a victory against the San Antonio Spurs, which would have completed the season series sweep against their long-time rivals for the first time ever. Alas, the Mavs fell to the pressure of a late-game situation and lost to the Spurs, 119-109.
The Mavs (39-27) led for the majority of the game but the Spurs (27-36) raged back in the fourth quarter, going on a 21-5 run to lead 101-92 with 6:20 remaining in the game.
Dallas was able to close the gap but couldn’t sustain in the clutch, a problem that also haunted them in a late-game loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. ... and indeed has been a season-long bugaboo.
The loss continues the Mavs’ bad execution in late-game situations. The Mavs are now 13-21 in clutch games (games that are within five points at some point during the final five minutes). Even worse, Dallas is 3-13 in games that have a one-point differential in the final minute of the game.
“When you build a lead in the third quarter the way we did and put yourself in a good position, you’ve got to find a way to sustain,” Coach Rick Carlisle said to reporters after the game. “You’ve got to have a collective determination to fight through.
Luka Doncic dazzled despite a hurt wrist, thumb, and ankle. Doncic missed his first three shots before finding his rhythm to score 38 points. Doncic (6-of-13) had a solid long-distance shooting game and added seven rebounds and eight assists.
The Spurs have had a Doncic problem this season. The Slovenian star averaged a 30-point triple-double in the Mavericks’ three wins over the Spurs this season.
Dallas was missing Seth Curry (left ankle sprain), Jalen Brunson (right shoulder sprain), and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (illness).
Shorthanded, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dorrian Finney-Smith stepped up. Hardaway Jr. sparked Dallas, continuing the best season of his career, with 20 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Finney-Smith might earn a Sports Center Top-10 nod with a staggering alley-oop from Doncic. Finney-Smith added 15 points.
Dallas had no answer for LaMarcus Aldridge (24 points) and Rudy Gay (17 points). The Spurs set a new season-high with 10 blocks, four from Aldridge.
A look at the bright side, the Mavs finished 3-1 against the Spurs this season, securing a series win for the first time since 2009-10 season.
The Mavs return home to the American Airlines Center to host the Denver Nuggets tomorrow night at 7 p.m. (CT). Dallas has not dropped three games in a row yet this season.
“I’m not worried at all,” Doncic said to reporters after the game. “At the beginning of the season, people had us out of the playoffs. We’ve shown we can be in the playoffs and as of now we’re in the playoffs. There’s a long way (to go). We got a lot of stuff to learn.”
The game is a perfect opportunity for Dallas, who sits comfortably at seventh in the Western Conference rankings, to jockey for playoff position against third-ranked Denver.
Every game from here on out has extra meaning. Ten of the Mavs final 16 games are against current playoff teams.
