On Saturday night, the Dallas Mavericks defeated San Antonio 144-119, led by Luka Doncic’s triple-double of 39 points. Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama was a late scratch due to an ankle sprain suffered during warmups.
Doncic, who finished the third quarter with 36 points and 10 assists prior to his permanent departure, finished the game with 12 rebounds and 30 points, one short of LeBron James for third on the career 30-point triple-double list.
“We all know who he is, what he’s doing in his 21st year in the NBA, which is unbelievable,” Doncic commented. “It means a lot.”
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The Spurs entered the game on a skid of 1-21, and their pre-game misfortune continued when Wembanyama stepped on a ball boy’s foot after a few strides after attempting to follow a shot.
Although the 19-year-old sensation had his right ankle recapped and desired to play, coach Gregg Popovich decided to rest the nearly 7-foot-4 Wembanyama as a precaution.
Wembanyama had previously missed two games in Milwaukee due to ankle pain. Had he played, he would have been subject to a minutes restriction.
“If it was a playoff game, I probably would have played him,” Popovich commented. “He’s not happy about it, but I would rather err on the conservative side since it’s the same ankle that he just got a time limitation on.”
The Spurs, led by Jeremy Sochan’s 23 points and nine rebounds, suffered their fourth consecutive loss since snapping an 18-game losing streak that tied a franchise record for the second consecutive season.
Dante Exum contributed 20 points, while Tim Hardaway Jr. tallied 23 for Dallas.
The Mavs snapped a three-game losing stretch at Houston on the evening that Doncic and All-Star companion Kyrie Irving were dismissed in a 26-point loss. Doncic sustained a strain in his quadriceps, and Irving, who sustained a right heel contusion, has now missed eight consecutive games. Dallas’ record in these contests is 4-4.
“We still have some injuries, so we’ve got to still keep it together,” indicated Doncic. “Everybody’s got to stay together, and next-man-up mentality.”
In his sixth season, Doncic, who is eleven points short of 10,000 for his career, finished 13 of 27 from the field, including 5 of 10 from three-point range.
Three nights prior to that, Doncic appeared to have recorded his sixth triple-double of the season with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Rebounds were deducted from the official final tally.
Doncic’s 120-111 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers is the only game in which he has failed to record at least 30 points in his last 12 appearances.
