Victor Wembanyama, Spurs stuff Cooper Flagg, Mavs
Victor Wembanyama dominated with 29 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots to carry the visiting San Antonio Spurs past the Mavericks in a 135-123 win on Thursday in Dallas.
Cooper Flagg had 32 points and became the youngest player in NBA history with 30 or more points in four consecutive games, etching his name alongside Michael Jordan as the first rookie with 30 points and at least five rebounds in four games in a row.
The Spurs were up 11 at halftime before the Mavs trimmed the margin to 96-93 heading into the fourth. Naji Marshall's jumper with 4:09 to play capped a 6-0 run to slice the margin to one point but Stephon Castle answered with a long 3-pointer on San Antonio's ensuing possession.
Wembanyama added a pair of free throws and Cooper Flagg's floater with 2:41 remaining answered right back. A key Wembanyama block of Daniel Gafford's layup try and two more free throws by Harrison Barnes helped San Antonio put the win away.
The Spurs return home for a rematch after the victory in which Barnes had 19 points, Keldon Johnson 18, De'Aaron Fox tallied 17, Julian Champagnie added 14, and Castle and Devin Vassell had 12 each as San Antonio won its third straight game.
Marshall poured in a season-high 32 points for the Mavericks, who have dropped six in a row. Flagg had 32 while Max Christie added 20 and Gafford scored 16 points with 10 boards.
Wembanyama was torrid from the start with San Antonio's first 10 points and had 20 at halftime.
He hit all net on his first three 3-point attempts and the Spurs built a 12-7 lead five minutes into the game. San Antonio led by as many as nine points before owning a 38-35 edge after 12 minutes of play.
Dallas pushed its way to the front and led 48-44 when Flagg canned a jumper at the 8:30 mark of the second quarter. The Spurs then forged a 21-4 run capped by Johnson's cutting layup with 4:05 to play before halftime and eventually carried a 74-63 advantage into the break.
Marshall matched Wembanyama with 20 points in the first half to lead their respective teams. Johnson added 12 points and Champagnie had 11 for San Antonio; Flagg and Gafford both produced 10 points in a supporting role for the Mavericks.
Jordan, Bernard King, Allen Iverson and Jalen Green are the other rookies who've gone for 30-plus points in four consecutive games. Iverson is the last rookie to put up 150-plus points in the span of four games.