It wasn't the prettiest of performances, but a few great defensive stretches were enough to give the Spurs their first win of the season. The production from the starters was simply impossible for a Mavericks team missing Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving to match, as San Antonio pulled away late en route to a 122-106 victory on the road.
While they had some dominant moments in the second half, the winless Spurs didn't look as hungry as expected early on, showing both a lack of execution that wasn't surprising from a tired team in the second game of a back-to-back, but also lacking the sense of urgency of a contender that lost a tough game the night before should show. Fortunately, they were facing a shorthanded opponent who had also played on Friday, so even during the sloppy moments, they stayed close on the scoreboard. Aside from a few good stretches from Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell, who took advantage of a zone defense by hitting midrange jumpers, there wasn't much that stood out from a seemingly uninspired San Antonio squad in the opening frame. Despite missing their two best players, the Mavericks didn't struggle to keep it close.
The lack of hustle plays, the poor decision-...