The Dallas Mavericks were joined by their trade deadline additions against the San Antonio Spurs, but Stephon Castle proved to be too much for the Spurs' in-state rivals.
The Dallas Mavericks were joined by AJ Johnson, Marvin Bagley II, and Tyus Jones as they took on the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night, but for the third time this season, the Spurs got the better of them.
The Spurs won 138-125, taking early command of the game and never looking back. Of course, it helped that Stephon Castle had a career game, finishing with 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists while missing only four shots.
Victor Wembanyama posted a 16-point double-double and shut down Dallas on the defensive end once again. The Mavericks were led by Klay Thompson's 19 points, falling well short of the mark the Spurs set.
Spurs Had No Trouble With New-Look Mavs
The Spurs, Miami Heat, and Houston Rockets were the only teams in the NBA not to make a deal on or before the trade deadline earlier this week. The Mavericks, meanwhile, got busy, flipping Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, and then re-routing parts of that haul to the Charlotte Hornets for Tyus Jones.
Jones finished with four points off the bench in his Dallas debut, and Bagley II--who was picked three selections ahead of Luka Doncic in 2018--added 16 of his own.
Of course, the Spurs have long demonstrated that they are the much better team this season, and were favored heading into this contest for good reason. While the Spurs were linked to several high-profile players in rumors before the trade deadline, they held their ground, instead opting to see just how far they can go with their current roster.
If recent play is any indication, "pretty far" seems to be the answer. The Spurs won't expect Castle to post these numbers with any regularity, but in a game where neither Wembanyama nor De'Aaron Fox was playing at an All-NBA level, the Spurs can breathe easy knowing their sophomore guard can pick up the slack.
While Jeremy Sochan survived the trade deadline, Mitch Johnson seems eager to give his minutes to rookie Carter Bryant, who has been seeing the floor more consistently as of late. He added 11 points to the Spurs' winning effort and was a menace on defense, suggesting he could have a long-term home with the Silver and Black.