Wembanyama, Harper lead Spurs past short-handed Mavericks 122-106 for their first victory

DALLAS (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 23 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, Dylan Harper scored 22 points and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Dallas Mavericks 122-106 on Saturday night for their first victory of the season.

De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle added 19 points apiece as the Spurs avoided their first 0-3 start since 2008-09. They lost to Oklahoma City on Tuesday and to Houston in Austin on Friday.

Rookie Sergio de Larrea led the Mavericks (1-2) with 21 points off the bench, going 3 of 4 behind the arc. Dallas’ five starters combined for 50 points, topped by P.J. Washington with 12 points.

The Mavericks played without their two marquee players, Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving. Flagg, last season’s Rookie of the Year, is out with a shoulder injury that occurred during Dallas’ win at Indiana on Friday night and will be reevaluated next week. Irving, the nine-time All-Star, didn’t play the second night of the back-to-back. He returned this season after being sidelined for 19 months with a torn ACL.

The Spurs squandered a 14-point lead in the third quarter but opened the final period on a 17-5 run in the first six minutes. They outscored Dallas 30-17 in the quarter as Spurs fans took over American Airlines Center in the closing minutes.

Wembanyama started slow, scoring only one point until midway through the second period. He then scored on two alley-oop dunks within two minutes and finished the half with 12 points.

The Spurs grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and outscored the Mavericks 25-10 in second-chance points.

Dallas scored 46 points in the paint in the first half, a franchise high during the play-by-play era (since 1997-98), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Up next

Spurs: Host Sacramento on Tuesday.

Mavericks: At Miami on Monday.

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