Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks

Coming off one of their best games of the season, the San Antonio Spurs will head back to Texas for a matchup with the rival Dallas Mavericks. It’s the Spurs last game before getting a long break for All-Star Weekend. It will be a good litmus test to see how San Antonio has improved since they last played Dallas on opening night.

In their last contest the Spurs hopped out to an early lead, but couldn’t hold off Luka Doncic and the Mavericks in a 126-119 loss. Dallas has been playing some solid basketball leading up to the all-star break, winning their last five games. The Spurs will lean on the star power of Victor Wembanyama, as they look to start a winning streak heading into the break.

February 14, 2024 | 7:30 PM CT

Watch: BSSW | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Charles Bassey – Out (left knee,) Sidy Cissoko – Out (G League,) David Duke Jr. – Out (G League,) Mamadi Diakite – Out (G League,) Dominick Barlow – Questionable (G League,) Marcus Morris Sr. – Out (not with team)

Mavericks Injuries: Greg Brown III – Out (G League,) Luka Doncic – Probable (broken nose,) Dante Exum – Out (right knee,) Kyrie Irving – Probable (right thumb,) Maxi Kleber – Questionable (right small toe,) Dereck Lively II – Questionable (nasal fracture)

What to watch for

Slowing down Doncic

The Mavericks have one of the best players in the Association in the Slovenian sensation, Doncic. His 70+ point game was one of the highlights of the season, and he’s routinely making defenses look silly. He buried the Spurs in their last matchup, becoming unstoppable in the fourth quarter. He had a triple-double with 33 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the win.

Jeremy Sochan has been playing excellent 1-on-1 defense lately, especially against Toronto where he shut down Scottie Barnes. He’ll be tasked with one of the toughest defensive assignments in the NBA. It will be a good test for the second-year wing. If he can’t contain Doncic, expect the Spurs to double and scramble out to shooters once Luka passes.

Executing in the half court

San Antonio was lights out against Toronto, due in part to their offensive execution. They ran effective sets, got Wembanyama the ball in his spots and made timely cuts for easy baskets. The Mavericks, like the Raptors, are a bottom-ten team in defensive rating (117.3.) The Spurs should be able to find opening against Dallas, if they execute offensively. Pay close attention to how they run their sets on Wednesday.

What will Wemby do next?

After notching a triple-double with 10 blocks against the Raptors, expectations are sky-high for the Spurs rookie. Wembanyama seemed to be hitting the rookie wall, until he burst through it on Monday night. In his first matchup with Dallas, he struggled with fouls and didn’t get consistent minutes. Still he finished with 15 points in 23 minutes. The Mavericks bigs shouldn’t give Wembanyama too many troubles, which means he could be in for another big time performance.