Sergio de Larrea seized his opportunity and made the most of it. With the Dallas Mavericks shorthanded—missing Cooper Flagg (shoulder injury), Kyrie Irving (resting knee), and Santi Aldama (knee surgery)—the Valencia point guard played 33 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs and posted 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists on 9-of-15 shooting and 3-of-4 from three. He led the Mavericks in scoring, though Dallas fell short (122-106).
https://youtu.be/xhuatAuanRE?si=WGYxPqn1lxJ5jfjU
By far, it was his best game in the NBA. In the first two games of the season, he had only played six minutes without scoring.
A Tight Contest Through Three Quarters
De Larrea was key to keeping the Mavericks competitive through three quarters. The game featured 14 lead changes, and Dallas led by six in the second quarter (49-43) following an 8-2 run. The Spurs answered back before halftime with a 5-0 stretch to take a 68-60 lead into the locker room, but the Mavericks won the third quarter (24-29) and entered the fourth down just three points (92-89).
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Spurs Pull Away in the Fourth Quarter
The fourth quarter belonged to the Spurs, who won it 30-17 and led by as much as 23 points. Victor Wembanyama finished with 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Dylan Harper added 22, while De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle each scored 19, with 9 and 8 assists respectively. The Spurs, coming off a loss in Austin after Amen Thompson's block on Wembanyama, secured their first win of the season. For the Mavericks, behind De Larrea, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Marcus Sasser each scored 12 points.