Field Level Media
Nov 3, 2021
Jalen Brunson scored a season-high 31 points, including 13 of Dallas' final 15 of the game, and grabbed 10 rebounds as the visiting Mavericks outlasted the San Antonio Spurs 109-108 on Wednesday.
The score was knotted at 96 with 3:50 to play before Brunson reeled off a three-point play and another jumper to put the Mavericks up 101-96.
San Antonio pulled within 103-102 on a bucket by Dejounte Murray with 51.7 seconds remaining, but Brunson stayed hot, hitting a step-back jumper and then two free throws.
With the Mavericks up 109-108 with 2.7 seconds to play, Brunson missed two free throws, giving the Spurs a chance for a winning shot. Dallas' Dorian Finney-Smith stole the ensuing pass from Keldon Johnson to secure the win for the Mavericks in the second game of a home-road back-to-back. Dallas lost to the visiting Miami Heat on Tuesday.
Luka Doncic scored 23 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for Dallas. Tim Hardaway Jr. also had 23 points, and Boban Marjanovic hit for 17 off the bench.
Murray led the Spurs with 23 points, with Devin Vassell scoring a career-high 21, Derrick White hitting for 19 points, Johnson adding 16 and Drew Eubanks tallying 10 points. San Antonio has dropped six of its past seven games.
Dallas led 23-16 late in the first quarter before the Spurs scored the 12 of the period's final 17 points to even the tally at 28. Doncic had 10 points in the quarter to lead all scorers.
The Mavericks were up by as many as 12 points midway through the second period, but San Antonio roared back again. The Spurs got within 59-58 after a Murray 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds to play in the half.
Doncic and Hardaway scored 15 points apiece in the first half while Brunson put up 11 for the Mavericks. Vassell led the Spurs in the half with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the floor. Murray and White added 11 points each over the first two quarters.
Dallas was missing Kristaps Porzingis (lower back tightness) and Maxi Kleber (oblique strain). The Spurs played without center Jakob Poeltl, who entered the NBA's health and safety protocol earlier Wednesday.
--Field Level Media