San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks Recap & Rections

Once again, DeMar DeRozan came up big for the San Antonio Spurs in their 113-108 overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

It was said that superstar shooting guard DeMar DeRozan would become a member of the San Antonio Spurs with some added motivation, but this is just ridiculous. In another outstanding performance, DeRozan scored 34 points on 57.1 percent shooting from the field and a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe.

He was unable to hit the game-winning shot in regulation, but managed to end the night with a smooth mid range jumper with 10 seconds left in overtime. DeRozan put on a passing clinic, finishing with 10 assists and only two turnovers.

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It’s become evident that DeRozan is the playmaker that San Antonio was missing. Next to him in the backcourt was combo guard Bryn Forbes, whose modest 12 points came on 5-of-11 shooting from the field. Forbes has become noticeably more comfortable as he’s moved off the ball and has been given the chance to take his signature leaning jumpers and pull-up threes.

Tonight was another rough shooting night for All-NBA power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who scored 20 points on 17 shots. He tacked on six rebounds, four assists and a steal in the contest. He’s still working to shake away some of his offseason rust and get back to form. All the while, the near seven-footer remains an enforcer near the basket.

The glue of the San Antonio Spurs, small forward Rudy Gay, had another excellent outing as the team’s third option. He finished with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds to go with six steals and four assists. Rudy did a great job of making his presence felt each and every time down the floor by staying active and aggressive.

15 PTS | 11 REB | 6 STL | 4 AST@RudyGay did a little bit of everything tonight ? https://t.co/618n1l1HXQ

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 30, 2018

San Antonio held a 53-45 lead at halftime but was outscored 29-23 in the third quarter, bringing about another classic “down to the wire” matchup with the rival Mavericks.

In his first meeting against the San Antonio Spurs, Slovenian sensation Luka Doncic scored a career-high 31 points including four three-pointers. He was one of three Mavericks to finish in double-figure scoring.

"He loves those moments. He's not afraid of failure."@DeMar_DeRozan put on another clutch performance in Silver & Black. #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/I4zzXyGxLS

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 30, 2018

One of the most exciting new trends of this fresh season has been the Spurs’ increased efficiency from behind the arc. San Antonio finished the game shooting 9-of-20 from three with five different players cashing in from deep.

As this team grows more comfortable as a unit, the opponent scoring totals will begin to shrink. The young Mavs have shown that they can push the tempo and score a ton of points, so limiting them to 108 through four quarters and an overtime is a step in the right direction.

After taking on the rookie Doncic, the Spurs will head to the Valley of the Sun to face No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns. It’ll be a spooky sight for Suns fans, who’ll meet the DeRozan-led Spurs for the first time on Halloween.