The San Antonio Spurs didn’t just beat the Dallas Mavericks – they controlled this game from the moment Stephon Castle decided it was his night. Castle was everywhere, stuffing the stat sheet with one of the most complete performances of the season, while Victor Wembanyama quietly dominated the interior and won his highly anticipated battle with Cooper Flagg.
San Antonio shot 55.6% from the field, lived in the paint, and turned the game into a track meet. Dallas simply couldn’t survive. The ball moved, the defense traveled, and when the Mavericks tried to make a push, Castle and Wemby slammed the door shut. This was one of the Spurs’ most convincing wins of the year.
Stephon Castle: A+
Game Stats: 40 PTS, 12 REB, 12 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK, 6 TOV, 15-19 FG, 3-5 3-PT FG, 7-10 FT, 32 MIN
This was Castle’s night, and it was obvious early. He was everywhere – pushing pace, finding shooters, muscling his way into the paint when the Spurs needed something easy. The triple-double tells part of the story, but the bigger thing was control. He played like the game made sense to him while everyone else was reacting.
Victor Wembanyama: A
Game Stats: 16 PTS, 11 REB, 1 AST, 3 BLK, 6-14 FG, 1-6 3-PT FG, 3-4 FT, 27 MIN
Even with all of his scoring, Wembanyama didn’t need to have many shots to fall to be exceptional. Any time the Mavericks attempted to attack the inside, his presence made it difficult, and he even silenced many shots at the rim. His impact on the game remained extremely high, regardless of the level of success he had with the jumper.
Devin Vassell: A-
Game Stats: 17 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST, 1 TOV, 1 BLK, 7-15 FG, 1-4 3-PT FG, 2-2 FT, 30 MIN
Vassell was stout and used his time efficiently, carving up the Mavericks. He made good and timely cuts, and his shooting was on time and consistent. In addition to his scoring, he accepted the role of playmaker, and with 6 assists, he was also able to control the game.
De’Aaron Fox: B+
Game Stats: 15 PTS, 2 REB, 5 AST, 3 TOV, 7-13 FG, 1-4 3-PT FG, 26 MIN
The Fox effect was at play. He was calm and made the right moves, while not needing to dominate the game. His hustle and control of the game was able to set pressure on the Mavericks, and also his passing was able to create space for the younger Spurs to play.
Luke Kornet: B
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 2 BLK, 3-3 FG, 16 MIN
Kornet was solid coming off the bench; he finished all his shots at the rim, protected the rim defensively, and even did some passing, all while having a good plus-minus.
Dylan Harper: B
Game Stats: 11 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST, 1 TOV, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 5-8 FG, 1-1 3-PT FG, 23 MIN
Dylan had his poise and playmaking, combined with his efficient scoring, which helped the second unit win. His play is what carried the momentum when the starters were on the bench.
Carter Bryant: B-
Game Stats: 11 PTS, 5 REB, 3 BLK, 4-11 FG, 3-7 3-PT FG, 17 MIN
I was impressed with Bryant’s defensive instincts. He was able to block more than 4 shots, and offensively, he was able to hit three shots from 3-pt range. Although he was not perfect, he was more active than the other players.
Harrison Barnes: C+
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 3-6 FG, 3-5 3-PT FG, 0-2 FT, 22 MIN
Barnes knocked down a few timely threes but was otherwise quiet. He didn’t hurt the Spurs, but his impact was mostly limited to floor spacing on a night dominated by the younger core.
Julian Champagnie: C+
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 2 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2-2 FG, 1-1 3-PT FG, 15 MIN
I noticed that Champagnie played limited minutes. He scored on every shot he played, and he energized his teammates on defense. Champagnie was present on defense, and he was present despite the fact that he played limited minutes.
Keldon Johnson: C
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 4 REB, 4 TOV, 3-5 FG, 0-2 3-PT FG, 2-2 FT, 16 MIN
Johnson was aggressive but a little sloppy. While he finished efficiently near the rim, the turnovers piled up and prevented him from fully capitalizing on his scoring chances.
Kelly Olynyk: N/A
Game Stats: 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 TOV, 0-1 FG, 5 MIN
Olynyk’s night was brief and uneventful. He moved the ball once or twice and grabbed a couple boards, but never really found a rhythm before heading back to the bench.
Jeremy Sochan: N/A
Game Stats: 1 BLK, 0-1 FG, 4 MIN
Sochan barely saw the floor, making it tough to draw any real conclusions. His minutes were too short to leave a meaningful imprint either way.
Bismack Biyombo: N/A
Game Stats: 1 REB, 1 BLK, 3 MIN
Biyombo provided brief rim protection in limited action. He did his job, but the sample size was too small to make much noise.
Jordan McLaughlin: N/A
Game Stats: 0-1 FG, 4 MIN
McLaughlin barely saw the floor and didn’t get a chance to settle into the game before heading back to the bench.
