Wembanyama Outduels Flagg, Spurs Beat Mavericks to Hit Highest Win Total Since 2019

The numbers told the story in game number 4,000 for the Spurs as a franchise, as Victor Wembanyama beat Cooper Flagg in the battle of number 1 picks to give San Antonio 35 wins for the first time in seven years.

The Spurs accomplished this feat in game number 51 of 82, hitting a high water mark they haven't reached since their last playoff appearance in 2019. They relied on strength in numbers with seven scorers in double figures in the 135-123 road victory. It was the second game of a back-to-back, and the third win in a row for the Silver and Black.

Cooper Flagg scored 30+ for the fourth game in a row, but on the other side Wemby dominated with 29 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals. The two will get another chance to go head to head on Saturday, and Wembanyama had high praise for his star rival.

"Very impactful of course," Wembanyama said of Flagg. "Not a typical profile of a player to guard, not an easy guy to guard, and not an easy guy to score on, offensively, especially for guards, very good shot blocker."

Stephon Castle came off the bench on a minutes restriction, an in his 21 minutes he logged 18 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. San Antonio outscored the Mavs by a whopping 27 points with Castle on the court.

De'Aaron Fox added 17 points and 7 assists, and hit career triple number 900 as the Spurs won the fourth quarter 36-27. Harrison Barnes, who has been in and out of the starting lineup, shot 5-7 from 3. San Antonio hit 17-41 (41.5%) from beyond the arc in this one, and tallied 35 assists on 48 made baskets.

The Spurs led for 87% of the game, and despite missing center Luke Kornet they won the glass with gang rebounding as six guys grabbed five boards or more. In the fourth quarter as San Antonio worked to pull away, the 3-less Devin Vassell made a veteran move and waited a few seconds instead of attempting the first shot that presented itself. That choice served as a valuable reminder from the veteran to his young teammates that they had zero reason to rush.

"The gang rebounding is important, and then also goes right into leading to our offense cause all those guys can bust out on the dribble and lead the break," Mitch Johnson said after the game.

As great as all these numbers are, vibes are impossible to accurately quantify. In Dallas' arena when the 7-foot-5 visitor attempted and accomplished the spectacular, the home fans watched with a mix of exasperation and wonderment. Wembanyama started the game a perfect 5-5 from 3, and with a fake and stepback elicited a hilarious and relatable reaction from the Mavericks' broadcast:

"Oh HELL no," the announcer said half laughing in the brief moment after the move and before the shot swished.

Mavs announcer: “oh HELL no”pic.twitter.com/y9eXyfqplT https://t.co/hQrCciNsqF
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) February 6, 2026

The 3-point barrage influenced defenders to play him closer, resulting in a ridiculous give-and-go alley-oop jam.

WEMBY TOUCHING THE SURFACE OF HEAVEN!! pic.twitter.com/EmG22zKpUZ
— Silver & Black Coffee Hour (@SlvrBlkCoffeeHr) February 6, 2026

Sometimes it seems like Wembanyama goes "clip farming" as the kids would say. There are a few different types of highlights he hunts, and he did all of them against Dallas. There are the ones where he tries something that only he could ever do, and the ones where he proves he's just as skilled as those little guards. He loves to block a shot and score on the ensuing possession, and he loves going toe-to-toe with the league's top stars.

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA TONIGHT:

• 29 PTS, 11 REB, 6 AST, 3 BLKS, 9/14 FG pic.twitter.com/Nx9bQ58H8n
— Bala (@BalaPattySZN) February 6, 2026

It isn't the type of understated fundamentals you might expect from the Spurs, but it's hard to knock him for it when his huge plays swing the momentum so much. Wembanyama has spoken in the past about wanting to demoralize his opponents, and there's a valid tactical advantage in his campaign of basketball shock and awe.

Aura is difficult to quantify, and Adidas tried but couldn't have been more wrong in a new ad for Anthony Edwards' shoe. The gigantic green alien clearly meant to represent Wembanyama had three stats attached, and two of them were accurate with Potential at 99 and Shoe Size at 27. Swag at 0, however, is just flat out incorrect.

We know for a fact that Wemby exudes and values swagger. After the game Wemby was asked about Jamal Crawford, who has trained him up on some of those saucy dribble moves.

"For sure one of my favorite players to watch, just his demeanor, his swagger, just a super entertaining player to watch," Wembanyama said. "And a great teacher as well. Meeting him was great, and getting to work with him for a few days was even greater. It's definitely something I'd like to do again, but the good thing is he's just one phone call away."

Yeah, he plays chess and reads books and gets to bed at a reasonable hour. But on the court, Wembanyama makes brash decisions that add entertainment value. He seems to know he's the main character, and he acts like it in a super fun way, and who could blame him?