Mavericks Fall Apart In Fourth Quarter As Spurs Spoil Dallas Home Opener

DALLAS – The Dallas Mavericks returned home Saturday night hoping to build some early-season momentum. Instead, the San Antonio Spurs exposed the challenges facing an injury-depleted roster and turned the Mavericks’ home opener into another frustrating loss.

San Antonio defeated Dallas 122-106 at American Airlines Center, outscoring the Mavericks 30-17 in the fourth quarter to pull away after the home team had managed to keep the game competitive through three periods.

The loss dropped Dallas to 1-2, while San Antonio improved to 1-2 with its first victory of the season.

The Mavericks entered the contest without Cooper Flagg, who was sidelined by left shoulder soreness after leaving Friday’s 121-105 victory at Indiana.

Dallas was also missing Kyrie Irving, leaving first-year head coach Dusty May with a significantly depleted rotation against Victor Wembanyama and a talented Spurs lineup.

MORE: TCU Wastes 484 Yards As Late Fumble Seals Loss To West Virginia

Despite those disadvantages, the Mavericks showed some fight early.

Dallas scored 37 first-quarter points but trailed 39-37 after an entertaining opening period. San Antonio created additional separation in the second quarter, taking a 68-60 advantage into halftime.

The Mavericks weren’t finished.

Dallas outscored the Spurs 29-24 in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 92-89 heading into the final 12 minutes.

At that point, the Mavericks had a legitimate opportunity to steal a victory.

But the fourth quarter belonged entirely to San Antonio.

Dallas managed just 17 points in the period, struggling to generate consistent offense while the Spurs repeatedly attacked the Mavericks’ defense.

Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper gave San Antonio multiple offensive options, a luxury Dallas simply couldn’t match with its available personnel.

The Spurs stretched their lead into double digits and never allowed the Mavericks to mount another serious comeback.

For May, Saturday’s defeat highlighted the difficulty of establishing offensive consistency while key players remain unavailable.

Flagg’s absence was particularly significant.

MORE: Kevin Jennings Makes History As SMU Destroys Cal With 42 Unanswered Points

The young forward gives Dallas versatility, scoring ability and another creator capable of generating offense when possessions break down.

Without him, the Mavericks had trouble sustaining their third-quarter momentum.

The defeat also exposed an issue that can’t be blamed entirely on injuries: Dallas allowed San Antonio to score 122 points, including 39 in the opening quarter.

That’s not a sustainable formula for a team trying to establish a competitive identity.

The Mavericks now head back on the road to face the Miami Heat on Monday.

Getting healthier will help. So will developing more consistent offensive execution.

But Saturday’s fourth-quarter collapse showed that Dallas still has considerable work ahead.

The Mavericks were close enough to challenge San Antonio through three quarters. They simply didn’t have enough left to finish.