Doncic's Triple-Double Powers Mavs Over Spurs

In a pivotal game for their playoff push, the Dallas Mavericks relied on the all-around brilliance of Luka Doncic to grind out a 113-107 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. Despite an uncharacteristically poor shooting night, Doncic stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, 16 assists, and 10 rebounds, recording his eighth triple-double in the last 10 games.

The Slovenian superstar’s impact was perhaps most evident in the final decisive stretch. With the game hanging in the balance, Doncic and backcourt mate Kyrie Irving combined for 12 crucial points down the stretch to hold off a feisty Spurs squad. Irving poured in a team-high 28 points to complement Doncic’s all-around mastery.

“Not all wins are pretty,” admitted Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd after the hard-fought win. However, style points mattered little for Dallas, who moved ahead of Sacramento into sixth place in the Western Conference standings, the last automatic playoff berth.

While the Mavericks leaned on their star duo, the Spurs countered with a balanced attack led by Tre Jones’ 22 points. Rising rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama added 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 blocks, serving notice of his prodigious two-way talents.

“Our goal is to get better every game,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. “And they did that. I’m really proud of what they did.”

Indeed, San Antonio pushed Dallas to the brink despite trailing by 13 in the first half. The young Spurs responded with 11-0 runs to start both the third and fourth quarters, even taking a 95-93 lead with just under seven minutes remaining.

But the savvy Mavericks weathered the storm behind Doncic’s playmaking and tough defense against Wembanyama and Devin Vassell. Dante Exum also provided a spark off the bench with 16 points, eight coming in the final frame.

While Doncic struggled from the field at 6-of-27, he still expertly carved up the Spurs’ defense to continue his torrid stretch of triple-double performances.

“It doesn’t matter how Luka is playing,” said Exum. “If he’s playing amazing, he’s going to get doubled. If he is playing bad, he’s going to get doubled. So, he’s always going to create opportunities for everyone to score and make the next play.”

In the end, Dallas did just enough to hold off the upstart Spurs thanks to their transcendent star showing he can impact winning in myriad ways, even on an off-shooting night. With the playoff race heating up, that versatile brilliance could prove the difference for the Mavericks’ postseason aspirations.