Two of the Texas NBA teams are licking their wounds. Some of them are self-inflicted. The Dallas Mavericks traded away their franchise cornerstone, Luka Doncic, for the often-injured big man, Anthony Davis – who is, wouldn’t you know, injured. Their star point guard, Kyrie Irving is also injured, as is seemingly half of their roster. The San Antonio Spurs are without their franchise big man, Victor Wembanyama. The two injury-riddled teams will square off on the second game of a back-to-back for both squads.
The Spurs are 0-2 against the Mavs this season, but you can throw history out the window for this matchup. Neither of these teams looks the same as they did just a month ago. Dallas has lost their last five games, and San Antonio is coming off a 141-124 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Both teams will look to get back on track in the first match of a two-game series in San Antonio.
San Antonio Spurs (26-36) vs. Dallas Mavericks (32-33)
March 10th, 2025 | 7:30 PM CT
Watch: KENS5 | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: The injury report is not released until 1 p.m. CT
Mavericks Injuries: The injury report is not released until 1 p.m. CT
What to watch for:
Bench production
The Mavericks are missing key players like Irving, Davis, PJ Washington, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford. That’s thrust bench players into key roles and hurt their depth. The Spurs will have a clear advantage when the reserves sub in. Stephon Castle and Keldon Johnson would likely be starters for the beat-up Mavericks. Castle has scored 20+ points in five of his last six games. He and Johnson will be key players to watch in this game.
Guarding the three
The Spurs were buried by the Wolves hot shooting on Sunday night. They allowed Minnesota to make 21 of 42 three-pointers. Dallas still has some sharpshooters at their disposal despite the depleted roster. Klay Thompson is one of the best shooters of all time, and Max Christie has been rock solid since suiting up for the Mavericks. San Antonio cannot let this become a shootout if they want to walk away with a victory.
Devin Vassell’s defense
Devin Vassell looked a lot better on the defensive end on Sunday. As the season wraps up, the wing’s defensive performance will be something to keep an eye on. Vassell can be a strong two-way player. Showing a concerted effort and commitment to defense, along with his shot-making, would be great for the Spurs’ future.
