Leading 31-23 after the 1st Quarter, the Spurs were benefited by a 3PT shot by Fred VanVleet to fend off the resilient Dallas Mavericks in an otherwise close contest. Fred VanVleet scored 6 points with 7 assists.
The other three quarters went: 25-28, Dallas; 33-34, Dallas & 32-32 in the 4th Quarter. Luka Doncic had 20 points with 8 assists, trying to win the Mavs to a win to snap a losing streak to no avail. Deni Avdija had 18 points, looking sharp. Kristaps Porzingis had 18 points with 9 rebounds, with Eric Bledsoe's 14 points & 12 assists.
In the win, Brandon Ingram sizzled his way to 38 points, his highest mark of the season so far, going 17-27 from the field. Andre Drummond continues to look more aggressive in the post and scoring end, notching 19 points & 12 rebounds. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 15 points, hitting 3 from the perimeter. Evan Fournier scored 13 points, with Dejounte Murray dishing 10 assists in a near triple-double (7 points, 7 rebounds). Kent Bazemore scored 11 points for the champs over the rival Mavericks, who now drop to 11-14 on the season.
