Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) drives around San Antonio Spurs forward Cedi Osman (16) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
SAN ANTONIO — Kyrie Irving scored 28 points, Luka Doncic had 18 points and 16 assists, and the Dallas Mavericks held off the San Antonio Spurs 113-107 on Tuesday night.
The Mavericks (40-29) trail the Sacramento Kings (39-28) by percentage points for sixth place in the NBA Western Conference and the final automatic playoff berth.
Tre Jones scored 22 points and Devin Vassell added 19 points for San Antonio. Victor Wembanyama had 12 points and 11 rebounds for his 37th double-double.
READ: Kyrie Irving’s lefty floater lifts Mavericks over Nuggets
Kyrie cashes the middy for 6 straight clutch points late in the 4th 😤
Mavs-Spurs | Live on the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/gO2bX2pWiC pic.twitter.com/9dlDokxqPB— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2024
The Mavericks swept their four-game season series against the Spurs after winning the first three by an average of 18.3 points. Irving and Doncic were critical in the final minutes of the closely contested finale.
After trailing by 13 points in the first half, San Antonio had 11-0 runs to open the third quarter as well as early in the fourth. The latter run gave the Spurs a 95-93 lead with 6:57 remaining.
There were nine lead changes in the second half, but Dallas took a 102-101 lead with 3:46 remaining and didn’t trail again.
Irving and Doncic combined for 12 points in the final 6 1/2 minutes.
Kyrie hangs and goes reverse to take the lead!
Mavs lead 102-101 with less than 4 minutes to play 🍿
Mavs-Spurs | Live on the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/gO2bX2pWiC pic.twitter.com/gYQ1fmx0QX— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2024
READ: Mavericks beat Warriors but Luka Doncic triple-double streak ends
San Antonio is 1-4 during a season-long eight-game homestand, which included a split of a two-game series in Austin.
After shooting 6 of 18 on 3-pointers in the first half, the Spurs went 6 of 11 on 3s in the third quarter.
Doncic shot 2 of 8 in the first quarter but had six points and five assists in the period. He had 11 points and 11 assists in the first half.
Doncic weaved around a screen for a three-point play in the opening minutes, tossing in an 18-foot jumper after feigning a fadeaway that fooled Sochan into leaping into the Mavericks All-Star. Doncic collected his 10th assist with four minutes remaining in the first half when he flipped a no-look pass behind his back to Dante Exum, who buried a 3-pointer.
Exum finished with 16 points.
Wembanyama incurred two fouls in the opening four minutes but maintained his normal rotation minutes. He did not commit another foul in the first half and finished with four fouls.
San Antonio was without Zach Collins, who is in the concussion protocol after striking the back of his head on the court during Sunday’s victory over Brooklyn.
NEXT SCHEDULE
Mavericks: Host Utah on Thursday night.
Spurs: Host Memphis on Friday night.