SAN ANTONIO — In a thrilling season opener, the Dallas Mavericks emerged victorious, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 126-119, and spoiling the much-anticipated NBA debut of the No. 1 draft pick, Victor Wembanyama, on Wednesday night.
Luka Doncic displayed his brilliance with a triple-double performance, accumulating 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. This stellar showing by Doncic played a crucial role in securing the win for the Mavericks. Guard Kyrie Irving also made significant contributions, adding 22 points to the team’s total, while Grant Williams delivered a strong performance with 17 points.
For the Spurs, Devin Vassell led the scoring with 23 points, and Keldon Johnson provided 17 points. Victor Wembanyama, the highly anticipated rookie, contributed 15 points to his team’s effort.
Wembanyama, who had garnered attention with his impressive preseason performances, faced a challenging NBA debut as he grappled with foul trouble during the fourth quarter. However, he managed to make an impact by scoring nine points in the final seven minutes of the game. Despite his foul trouble, Wembanyama displayed his potential by going 6 for 9 from the field, securing five rebounds, providing two assists, and blocking a shot in 23 minutes of play.
In an unexpected turn of events, Luka Doncic was listed as questionable with a left calf sprain just an hour before the game. However, the All-Star guard was ultimately cleared to play and contributed significantly to the Mavericks’ victory, playing 32 minutes.
Wembanyama’s preseason brilliance was somewhat overshadowed by his struggles with fouls in this game, and Dallas capitalized on his absence. The pivotal moment came when Wembanyama had to exit the game after collecting his fourth foul with 8:37 remaining in the third quarter.
This absence allowed the Mavericks to take their first lead, 73-72, just 37 seconds later with a layup by Dereck Lively II, who contributed 10 points during the third quarter. Dallas outscored San Antonio 32-23 in this quarter.
Wembanyama made a triumphant return to the game midway through the fourth quarter and immediately made his presence felt by scoring seven crucial points, electrifying the crowd. His impressive run included an alley-oop dunk that rolled over the rim.
In the early stages of the game, San Antonio had a strong start, hitting 6 out of 12 three-pointers and shooting at an impressive 62% from the field during the opening quarter.
