3 Overreactions as Mavericks Fall in Sixth-Straight Game With Loss to Spurs

The Dallas Mavericks hosted the San Antonio Spurs in the first game since the trade deadline, but it's also the last home game for the Mavs for nearly three weeks. And although the Mavericks made a big trade on Wednesday, we could hardly tell since the guys who were traded barely played for one reason or another.

But it's a little different for Cooper Flagg when he knows that he'll be the guy for the rest of the season. He's had a huge stretch of games recently, but with the Mavericks re-focusing on making him the face of the franchise, it makes the energy a little different.

It was San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama who got out to a hot start, though, scoring the Spurs' first 10 points, hitting three threes. The Mavs stayed in it with a balanced effort, but the Spurs had the lead up to 7 a few times in the first quarter. A strong close by the Mavs, led by strong efforts from Naji Marshall and Daniel Gafford, made it a tie game at 31. San Antonio would still have a small three-point lead at the end of the break, but Dallas was at least in it.

It then looked like the Spurs were going to run away with the game in the second quarter. Wembanyama continued to shoot at a high level from behind the arc, and a strong surge from him pushed the lead up to 13 just past the midway point of the quarter.

Naji Marshall was doing what he could to keep pace, as he had 20 points in the first half, but the Mavericks still faced an 11-point hole heading into the break after a three-pointer from former Maverick Harrison Barnes.

The Spurs kept it up coming out of halftime, continuing to lead by 10 for the first six minutes. But with the Spurs leading 90-80, the Mavs went on a quick 11-2 burst to get back into the game. Cooper Flagg had 11 points in this quarter alone, which was a big reason they dug their way back in the game. But they were also doing a much better job against Wembanyama, even if Devin Vassell started to warm up. By the end of the third, the Spurs only led by three again.

And it looked like the Spurs would start to take control. They pushed the lead to 9 with just about 6:30 remaining, but again, the Mavericks would come back as Cooper Flagg and Naji Marshall crossed into the 30-point mark for the game. As close as they could get, they could never tie or take the lead. The lead got down to one a few times, but they could never get over that hump.

After two free throws from Naji Marshall cut the lead to five with less than two minutes left, De'Aaron Fox drilled a three to push the lead to eight, and that ended any hope of winning this game. The Spurs would go on to win, 135-123, making it the sixth straight loss for the Mavs.

These teams will play again on Saturday. Here are three overreactions from this loss.

1. The Ethical Tank Lives On

Feb 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) blocks a shot by Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (9) during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

This is now the sixth straight loss for the Mavs, and they are 13 games below .500. The trades they made won't help them win any, as Khris Middleton had started every game for the tanking Wizards, Tyus Jones is having a career-worst season, AJ Johnson is a complete flier, and Marvin Bagley III is what he is at this point. But they're still giving incredible effort in every game despite a 19-year-old rookie in Cooper Flagg leading the way. Once Kyrie Irving returns next season with a high lottery pick, and the newfound flexibility from the Anthony Davis trade, this team could be sneaky.

2. Naji Marshall Proves He's Worth Keeping

Feb 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (13) warms up before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

There was a lot of trade chatter around Naji Marshall before the deadline, but the Mavericks had a high asking price for him, and this is why: 32 points on 12/21 shooting, adding 6 rebounds and 3 assists. He even went 4/7 from three, which is RARE for him. He's been a great player since the calendar turned to 2026, and this is just one more step. I was among those saying the Mavs should consider trading Marshall if an offer for a first-round pick came in, but it seems like that was never presented.

3. Miles Kelly Can Fill Jaden Hardy's Role

Jan 12, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Miles Kelly (14) makes a layup against the Brooklyn Nets during the second quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Jaden Hardy didn't really have much of a role on this team, but Miles Kelly can do a lot of the same things. Hardy was a slightly better ball-handler, but he thought too much of that skill set, which led to a lot of turnovers. But when he acted within himself as a source of instant offense, he could be okay. Miles Kelly brings a lot of that same instant offense, especially as a three-point shooter.

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