Spurs Steamrolled by Mavs Late, Drop 15th Straight
Due to a delay Thursday night caused by condensation on the hardwood at the American Airlines Center, the San Antonio Spurs had some extra time to prepare what was going to be a tough test against the Dallas Mavericks.
But the added minutes of preparation hardly helped San Antonio snap its record-breaking losing streak, as the Spurs dropped their 15th straight game after a sloppy fourth quarter and hot shooting from the Mavs sealed SA's fate in a 142-116 loss.
The Spurs (14-46) got an impressive performance from rookie guard Malaki Branham, who posted 23 points and five assists. Charles Bassey added 16 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Keldon Johnson finished with 12 points.
The Mavs (32-29) were unsurprisingly led by the star-studded duo of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, who secured their first win together since Dallas acquired Irving via trade. Doncic led all scorers with 28 points while adding seven rebounds and 10 assists. Irving had a game for himself as well, finishing with 23 points and six assists.
The Mavs went crazy from beyond the arc, going 22 of 42 from distance, 10 of which came in the fourth quarter.
In the first game back from the All-Star break for both teams, the All-Star-less Spurs got out to a 19-18 after Branham got seven early points. But it was seven quick points in response from Doncic that propelled Dallas to a 34-26 lead headed into the second quarter.
A 3-point barrage ensued to begin the second quarter, as the two teams combined for six made triples in the first three minutes of period. Branham kept the Spurs within striking distance after getting to his shooting spots with ease.
But it was the combined offensive magic of Irving and Doncic, who combined to score or assists on Dallas' final 23 points of the half, that helped keep the Spurs at pay. The Mavs led 74-63 headed into the locker room.
Despite the hole, the Spurs were far from done putting up a fight. The deficit grew to 16 after another Dwight Powell dunk, but San Antonio rookie Blake Wesley had an impressive sequence to bring the Spurs back to within single digits at 92-84.
He got free for a slam off an out-of-bounds play and drilled a triple on the next possession before stealing the ensuing inbound pass from Dallas second after. He then went 1 of 2 at the foul line after the sneaky steal for the Spurs.
However, this was the closest the Spurs were able to get for the remainder of the game. Incredibly, the Mavs proceeded to hit 10 3s in the fourth quarter, making what was once a close game into a shooting-filled blowout.
The Spurs will look to pick up the first win of a current nine-game road trip on Saturday against the Utah Jazz.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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