Luka Doncic needs no introduction. The Spurs, like the rest of the civilized basketball-playing world, were well aware of the Dallas star long before he made his first appearance of the season at the AT&T Center on Wednesday.
“He’s one of the top players in the league for a reason,” Spurs guard Derrick white said before tipoff. “We’ve just got to make it tough for him, try to frustrate him, do whatever we can do against him.”
Maybe the Spurs accomplished that. In the end, it didn’t matter.
Donic matched a franchise mark with his 21st career triple-double as the Mavericks overcame a valiant Spurs comeback to claim a 109-103 victory that kept San Antonio’s playoff dreams mired on the backburner.
Shaking off a jammed left thumb and a slow shooting start, Doncic finished with 26 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds. With that bit of box-score stuffing, he equaled Jason Kidd for the most triple-doubles in Mavs history, in only his second year.
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The Spurs, of course, knew this was a possibility. In two meetings earlier this season in Dallas, Doncic totaled 66 points, 21 rebounds and 22 assists against them.
“He can score in a lot of different ways,” White said. “He’s crafty. When he’s got his jump shot going, he’s tough. He’s good at finding people and then finding his own.”
The Spurs’ first game at the AT&T Center since Feb. 1, coming off a rugged rodeo trip, did not begin as planned.
They opened with a defensive game plan best described as “Anybody But Doncic,” sending bodies galore at the Dallas guard and daring some other Maverick to make them pay.
Kristaps Porzingis obliged.
Led by 16 first-quarter points from Porzingis, Dallas (36-23) built a 19-point lead in the first half.
Porzingis finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds, a 7-foot-3 reason Dallas won for just the second time in its past 18 tries in San Antonio.
“I think the game plan I came out with was poor and they took advantage of it,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, whose team was playing without second-leading scorer LaMarcus Aldridge (shoulder soreness). “That got us in a hole.”
Gregg Popovich on the Spurs loss to the Mavs and his game plan pic.twitter.com/dsbkd13WGB
— Spurs Nation (@Spurs_Nation) February 27, 2020
With Aldridge out, Lonnie Walker IV drew his fourth career start and the unenviable opening assignment of defending Doncic.
Or trying to.
The way Walker sees it, it wasn’t just Doncic who doomed the Spurs on Wednesday. Dallas had four players in double figures and eight players convert at least one of the Mavericks’ 17 3-pointers.
“He’s a really great player, and he has great role players who are knocking down open shots when they need to,” Walker said. “And that was what killed us.”
Lonnie Walker in his play against the Mavs and the effort on the defensive end pic.twitter.com/x0Vf1RNIao
— Spurs Nation (@Spurs_Nation) February 27, 2020
The first-quarter box score told much of the tale: The Spurs went 6 of 21 from the field, notching as many field goals in the frame as Porzingis did alone.
They also had five turnovers, missed four free throws, and trailed 36-20.
This list of what went wrong for the Spurs (24-33) early was thorough enough.
“We couldn’t make shots, turned the ball over, gave up second-chance points,” Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray said. “We just came out not ready to play.”
It was a surprising lack of early energy for a Spurs team that purports itself to still be in the Western Conference playoff race.
Give the Spurs credit for this much. Against mounting odds, they continue to hope against hope.
“We just tried to fight and fight and fight,” Murray said.
It took them nearly 2½ quarters, but the Spurs eventually punched their way all the way back.
When Trey Lyles rolled in a corner 3-pointer with 6:15 to play, it capped a 24-7 run and put the Spurs ahead 90-89.
It was their first lead since going up 2-0 to start the game.
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“I am really proud of the effort and the stick-to-itiveness,” Popovich said. “Where they could have hung their heads and cashed it in, they came back and played their ass off after that.”
The score was knotted again at 96 when Walker buried a 3-pointer with 4:01 remaining.
Doncic and Porzingis then shut the door.
Porizingis took a slick pass from Doncic for a basket-and-foul against White on Dallas’ next possession.
On the Mavs’ next trip, Doncic hooked up Porzingis up for a deep 3-pointer.
A Seth Curry 3-pointer followed, with Doncic then hitting a 3 for good measure. That 12-0 spurt, in less than two minutes, put an end to the Spurs’ comeback dreams.
DeMar DeRozan ended with 27 points to lead the Aldridge-less Spurs.
The Spurs left the AT&T Center on Wednesday frustrated by the loss and with a hard-earned respect for Doncic and Porzingis.
“I’m not going to sit here and continue to praise them,” Murray said, tiring of a postgame line of questioning. “They’re legit. They’re the real deal, and I’m a fan.”
Dejounte Murray on the loss to the Mavericks and why they played better down the stretch pic.twitter.com/TaEyKy7eIS
— Spurs Nation (@Spurs_Nation) February 27, 2020
Having not existed in a basketball-less cocoon for the past season and a half, the Spurs came into the game hyper-focused on Doncic.
The fact that he made history against them anyway was not surprising.
“That’s what he does,” Popovich said.
The Spurs didn’t need the reminder Wednesday, but got one anyway.
jmcdonald@express-news.net
Twitter:@JMcDonald_SAEN
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