Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis Shine as Mavericks Beat Spurs

The Dallas Mavericks' four-game road trip is off to a strong start after they defeated the San Antonio Spurs 109-103 Wednesday at AT&T Center.

With Jalen Brunson (shoulder) and Willie Cauley-Stein (personal) still out, Luka Doncic's 13th triple-double this season led the way to the Mavs' second straight win—and third in four games since the All-Star break—as the Spurs have now dropped seven of their last nine contests.

The win gives Dallas a season-series victory over its in-state rival and sets up an opportunity for a season-sweep when the two meet for the final time this year on March 10.

San Antonio (24-33) entered the night 3.5 games back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with this continued slide threatening to knock the Spurs out of the postseason race altogether. Dallas (36-23) has a bit more breathing room with a six-game lead in seventh.

Spurs center LaMarcus Aldridge missed Wednesday's action with right shoulder soreness.

Notable Performers

• Luka Doncic, SG, Mavericks: 26 points, 14 assists, 10 rebounds
• Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Mavericks: 28 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks
• DeMar DeRozan, SF, Spurs: 27 points, nine assists, eight rebounds
• Marco Belinelli, SG, Spurs: 14 points, eight rebounds, four three-pointers

Luka Ties Triple-Double Record

Luka Doncic played his last game as a 20-year-old Wednesday and made it memorable. Even without his offensive game at his best, he posted his 13th triple-double on the year and his 21st since entering the league.

In doing so, Doncic tied Jason Kidd for the Mavericks' franchise record. Kidd played 500 games in Dallas, while Doncic has played only 119.

"

You can't even see the rim in this video because he shot it from so far away. @kporzee | #MFFL

: https://t.co/oa0uOHW7jg pic.twitter.com/1wdcNfiN4t

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 27, 2020"

The guard played 37 minutes Wednesday and needed all of them to record his triple-double and secure the win. Doncic (10-of-25 shooting) made only three shots from outside the paint and mostly struggled to find his jump shot. That might've made it a bit easier on him to defer and set up his teammates. Four Mavericks scored in double figures as Doncic finished as a plus-14 on the night.

His final rebound came 17.6 seconds left as a furious comeback by the Spurs flamed out. San Antonio clawed back from a 19-point deficit to take a two-point lead with six minutes left in the fourth quarter, but Doncic made sure it wouldn't last.

Spurs Shrinking in Playoff Race

It's too early to count San Antonio out of the playoff race. Not with the Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies playing an inconsistent brand of basketball lately. And certainly not with the Spurs facing the sixth-easiest remaining schedule.

Yet the urgency in San Antonio hasn't matched its situation. That was evident only moments after tipoff on Wednesday. Head coach Gregg Popovich called timeout less than 100 seconds into the game to try to address that.

The message didn't kick in until the Spurs were out of gas late in the fourth.

After spending most of the game trailing by multiple possessions, it was hard to blame them for not finishing off the comeback attempt. That's of little consolation in the standings, though. San Antonio is now 3.5 games back of the final playoff spot in the West. The Spurs play the Grizzlies and Pelicans a total of four more times this year, including their regular-season finale against New Orleans.

They have little room for errors or slow starts before then. Matchups against the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls should all help the Spurs close the gap, yet there's hardly a guaranteed win in today's NBA.

The Spurs' 22-year playoff streak is in grave danger. They have time to fix that, but it's quickly running out.

What's Next?

Dallas will visit the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls over the next five days as its road trip moves east, setting up a crucial three-game homestand against the New Orleans Pelicans, Grizzlies and Indiana Pacers when the Mavs return home. Few teams will be more invested in that stretch than the Spurs, who host the Orlando Magic and Pacers as they look to gain ground on the Grizzlies and Pelicans.