Key plays, moments and stats for the Mavericks' 120-109 win over the Spurs

Welcome to the first part of a recurring series looking at “The Good,” “The Bad,” and “The Ugly” for games in the 2024-2025 season. In addition to the extensive game coverage you've come to expect from Mavs Moneyball, we're now also giving you a look at various aspects of the game that may not show up in the stats list. We will do this through the lens of the positive, the negative and anything that may not have been so nice. Without further ado, let’s get to the Dallas Mavericks’ 120-109 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

The good

Klay Thompson

Within the first five and a half minutes of the game, Thompson hit his first two shots, including a three-pointer, and had five points, three rebounds and two steals. He finished the night with 22 points, seven rebounds and three steals and made six three-pointers in 26 minutes of play. Those six three-pointers surpassed the previous record for three-pointers in a Mavericks debut (five).

Kyrie Irving

Midway through the first quarter, watching him pick Tre Jones all over the court, force him into a nearly eight-second infraction, and then give him an offensive foul when Jones tried to screen again was a largely unforgettable moment liberate. But that wasn't it. The defensive performance Kyrie showed on this and other plays throughout the evening bodes well for the future.

Naji Marshall

It was a welcome sight that Marshall confidently attacked the ball several times and prepared the offensive. For a team with the Mavericks' defense, a forward with that ability should play a big role in alleviating Luka and Kyrie's fatigue throughout the season.

Luka Doncic (to PJ Washington)

As the Mavericks built a lead in the third quarter, we saw some nice examples of defense turning into offense. In one sequence, Luka ran the length of the court, stumbling toward the basket with a defender on his hip and Victor Wembanyama at the rim. Luka threw a pass backwards over his head to PJ Washington for a three-pointer that extended the Mavericks' lead to 14.

Luka Doncic (to Klay Thompson)

Early in the fourth quarter, Luka passed to Thompson at the three-point line, where he was so wide open that he had to do a quick dribble to find his rhythm before shooting a three-pointer. As if that wasn't nice enough in and of itself, Luka turned and headed downfield before Thompson even released the ball, signaling he was safely on his way.

3rd quarter 3s

The Mavericks got going from the three-point line at the break, going 7 of 12 from three in the frame. After a terrible shooting start to the first half (see below), it was nice to get a look at what this offense can look like once things get right.

The evil

Craft time

Given the number of player absences during the preseason, it was obvious that coach Jason Kidd was still tinkering with the lineup. 10 Mavericks players had significant floor time in the first half. The only obvious rotation piece who didn't play was Spencer Dinwiddie. This is the first game of a long 82-game season, so it made perfect sense to spread the wealth and keep the minutes down, but it's unfortunate to have to use the regular season games to see things that otherwise could have been checked preseason.

The shooting of Harrison Barnes

Harrison Barnes shot 70% from the floor on 10 shot attempts. While his 17 points may not immediately catch the eye, the Mavericks need to show what kind of lockdown defense they are capable of when an opposing player is clearly hot. Barnes got pretty much everything he wanted, especially in the first half.

The ugly

Shooting in the first half

The Mavericks shot an abysmal 28.6% FG and 18.2% from three in the first quarter. At one point in the half they missed 15 of 17 shots. No doubt this was a result of the chemistry that had built up after Luka was sidelined in preseason, and probably some nerves as well, but this is the textbook example of ugly. If the opponent had been a top team with solid cohesion, the scoreboard would have been even uglier.

Lazy games

There were a few too many lazy plays in this game. In one sequence, the Mavericks passed the ball to the Spurs after giving up a drive on the baseline for a dunk. They luckily got a stop, but immediately called a timeout and likely experienced an unpleasant experience at the hands of Kidd.

Garbage time

Allowing a team to squeeze 10 points out of a 21-point lead in the bad moments of the fourth quarter is a regular occurrence in the NBA, but it's still a bit frustrating. Of course it's not called “garbage time” for nothing, but I think it's important for a team trying to establish a defensive identity to carry that courage through to the final whistle. This is probably more of a personal pet peeve, but I tend to pay attention to these closing moments in the hopes that players who don't get much playing time will show hustle and defense.

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