Doncic, Mavericks Defeat Spurs In San Antonio

Luka Doncic recorded his eighth triple-double in the last 10 games to lead the Mavericks to a 113-107 win over the San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center. Doncic recorded 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds to guide the Mavs to their second straight victory. Kyrie Irving contributed a game-high 28 points and grabbed eight boards. The Mavs have won six of their last seven and sit seventh in the West at 40-and-29. They return home to host the Utah Jazz tomorrow night.

MAVERICKS POSTGAME QUOTES

Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd

(On the win…)

"Yes, it counts as a W. Not all wins are pretty. Just understanding that [Dante] Exum down the stretch was huge, big threes. I had trust with that group that was out there, on the defensive end. Offensively, it could be [Kyrie Irving], could be Luka [Doncic]. It was Exum. Maxi [Kleber] made some great plays, PJ [Washington]. That group trusted one another. But again, for us not to shoot the ball well, we relied on our defense to help us get this win. And again, San Antonio is a team that puts a lot of pressure on your defense. I thought the guys did a really good job on Victor [Wembanyama], [Devin] Vassell. But again, we're getting great looks, a lot of great looks, and it just didn't fall for him (Luka). But being able to find his teammates and trust them down the stretch is what a leader does, and he did that tonight."

(On Luka Doncic’s shooting tonight…)

"He still had a triple double. I know that's boring for him, and it wasn't pretty, but to still be able to have a triple double; He didn't shoot the ball well, or to his standards, but then was able to rebound. I thought again, his leadership and trust down the stretch was big. To be able to find Exum for the threes, to be able to give the ball up when they were fouling and let someone else get to the free throw line. He did all the little things. But again, for his standards or the standards that we all kind of hold him to, it just wasn't his shooting night. But he found a way to lead his team to victory."

Mavericks Guard Kyrie Irving 

(On the team continuing to find ways to win…)

“I feel like tonight was one of those tests for us where we had our foot off the gas pedal a little bit to start off the game. It was real easy. We were going back and forth with them, trading punches. We gave them confidence, and they came out of halftime and took the lead for a little bit and going into the fourth quarter. It was a tough game. When you don’t handle your business early and you give other teams confidence; I mean they’re pros, too, so the respect was there. But I think some of our adjustments that we talked about going into the game, we didn't execute them at a high level. It was one of those ugly games, but it's a true testament to us just staying the course, being mature about it down the stretch, staying poised and getting to our spots when we needed. We didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, but I feel like we put ourselves in a great position to win the ball game down the stretch.”

(On playing against Victor Wembanyama and attacking the basket against him…)

“You got to be aware of him late challenging, and he has the timing of a guard. I don’t know if it’s just he’s played against guards, but I’m just saying, I think he’s got a lot of reps of playing against good guards and guarding them one-on-one. Today, I thought I had a reverse layup and he ended up blocking it on the left side, because I thought he was going to be on the right side. But he has this long wingspan, so he covers up a lot of space. Me as a competitor and challenger, I like going in there and challenging him, because if you can finish on [Victor Wembanyama], I feel like you can finish on anybody in the world. He’s going to block some and he’s going to make you change it, but it’s only going to make you better as a basketball player, and that’s what I want, and I think everybody should relish in that. But also be smart in challenging him, because he does bate you a lot. He does do things like a Defensive Player of the Year would. He’s showing signs that’s he’s exceeded all the Defensive Player of the Year stats of the previous guys that have won it. You guys see it. I don’t know who they’re going to pick, but I mean he has all the tools to be named Defensive Player of the Year. He’s for sure a candidate. I don’t know how he wouldn’t be, unless the games played and minutes. But every Defensive Player of the Year that’s won the past few years, he’s almost head and shoulder and we still have what 15 or some odd games left? I give him credit for being such a young player but learning on the fly and doing everything he can to get his team wins.”

Mavericks Guard Dante Exum

(On the team’s new way of winning…)

"I think once we try and make this playoff push, we're going to have nights like this. We’re have to rely on our defense and transition, getting easy buckets, layups, [Daniel Gafford] at the rim for dunks, [Derrick] Lively as well. I think it's sometimes the best way to play basketball is the easy way rather than the hardest shots possible."

(On what he attributes to the defensive turnaround…)

"I think it's just guys getting used to each other. We haven't changed anything. It's more of a buy-in to what the coaches are doing. The coaches have done a great job of just constantly being on us about our defensive rotation. I think one thing that's helped us is [Sean] Sweeny has been in every timeout, talking to us, getting everyone on the same page. I think that's been big for us. Just everyone knowing what we're doing and what's the defensive coverage when we're going out. It's the little things that are helping us."