Balanced attack helps Mavericks stun Spurs at home

Guard J.J. Barea had all but two of his 16 points in the second half and was one of five Mavericks to score in double figures during a 95-89 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night.

In the second and third periods against the San Antonio Spurs, the Mavericks shot 33 and 35 percent from the field, respectively, scoring just 37 points over that span. But heading into the final frame, Dallas only trailed 69-67.

Then came the fourth quarter.

For the first half of the final period, Greg Popovich’s Spurs kept things close. In the middle part of the fourth quarter though, the Mavericks went on a gritty 12-4 run that resulted in a surprising victory that halted their five-game home losing streak to the Spurs.

“I was really happy for our players,” Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said. “They have been fighting so hard and not getting much in terms of rewards for it. But, tonight, it was a win that was really earned.”

The victory was particularly impressive for the Mavericks when you consider that they were without starting point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who will be out for the foreseeable future with a left hip strain.

Wesley Matthews, J.J. Barrea and Yogi Ferrell were particularly impressive, hitting an array of jumpers, floaters and drives from a number of different spots on the floor. For the game, the trio combined for a little over half of the team’s offensive production with 48 points, many of which came in the fourth quarter.

And there were plenty of Spurs’ fans in attendance to witness the regular-season debut of star forward Kawhi Leonard, who had missed the Spurs’ first 27 games with a quad injury. Leonard started and looked OK, posting a stat line of 13 points and six rebounds in just under 16 minutes on the floor. But in the third quarter he headed into the lockeroom and did not return.

Ultimately, though the Mavericks were able to contain a deeper, more talented team when it mattered most. Dallas’ defense on Leonard and star forward LaMarcus Aldridge stood out in particular. The duo had some difficulty adjusting to Leonard’s return, finishing with a combination of 36 points and 19 rebounds.

“They have a lot of guts, a lot of grit,” Carlisle said of the Spurs. “They are a great team. We just had to outfight them.”

The Mavericks’ team defense also kept the Spurs’ best offensive weapons from getting to the basket. San Antonio only got to the free-throw line 19 times in this game, and hit 12 of those attempts. The Spurs shot just 40 percent from the field, and 25 percent from 3-point range.

Coming into this game, the Spurs had the third best record in a loaded Western Conference and had won their last four games. Dallas, meanwhile, had dropped its previous three games, all on the road.

All season long the Mavericks have played close games against quality opponents. Against the Spurs, they finally closed out a win that they hope will allow them to turn their season around.

“We’ve been waiting for a game like this where we go out and play a full 48 minute game,” said Mavericks guard Yogi Ferrell. “We’ve had some good games this season, but we put it all together tonight.”

This story was originally published December 12, 2017 at 11:15 PM with the headline "Balanced attack helps Mavericks stun Spurs at home."