DALLAS — The signs were there for Saturday to be the night for the Mavericks to emerge victorious after four consecutive losses. They were finally home inside American Airlines Center after a brutal three-game road trip. The San Antonio Spurs were without Victor Wembanyama on the second night of a back-to-back.
Kyrie Irving and P.J. Washington were welcomed back into the lineup.
They even debuted a fresh set of uniforms with a new court to match. After failing to take advantage of a non-playoff contender two nights before, the Mavericks bounced back with a 110-93 win over the Spurs. The last four losses were decided by one possession, but the Mavericks didn’t allow that to be the case on Saturday.
Dallas broke the game open in the third quarter with an explosion of 38 points, leading to a 27-9 run over the final seven minutes of the period. Irving and Daniel Gafford were crucial in that stretch as they combined for 23 points in the third quarter. Gafford scored a season-high 22 points off the bench, which were also a season high for any Mavericks player who came off the bench.
His most explosive play of the night occurred in the third quarter when he took one dribble towards the rim and threw down a one-handed slam over Spurs center Zach Collins. It was the sixth consecutive game in which Gafford reached double figures in scoring. That streak ties his career-long run of games with at least 10 points.
After missing Thursday’s loss to the Jazz due to a right shoulder stra.