By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Opening the 2024-25 Regular Season schedule for both sides, the Dallas Mavericks outlasted the San Antonio Spurs, 120-109, in American Airlines Center on Thursday.
The game was centered on new faces for the organizations based in Texas, including Klay Thompson knocking in six three-pointers in a 22-point showing in his first official game with the Mavs.
Slovenian Luka Doncic recorded a game-high 28 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter to secure the season-opening win. He added ten rebounds, eight assists, one block, and one steal over 36 minutes.
“I played terrible,” he mentioned in the postgame press conference.
“It is the energy. The vets pick up the energy,” he referred to himself, Thompson, and Kyrie Irving getting much help for the remaining roster members, “Big energy. My first game in four months. I was tired.”
Among players coming off the bench and lasting 15 minutes, German Maxi Kleber chipped in three points, four rebounds, and one assist plus one block on Jeremy Sochan.
On the wrong end of the encounter and of a crazy assist by Doncic during the third quarter, French Victor Wembanyama went for 17 points, nine rebounds, one block, and one steal over 28 minutes.
✨🎩 They call him “Luka Magic” for a reason!
pic.twitter.com/CIxJmDq8Zx— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 25, 2024
“They made my game better by helping us have better spacing. With the ball, of course, but also the way they talk, they can manage the off-ball offense a little bit more,” Wemby described playing alongside newcomers Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes.
Polish starter Sochan launched the season with 18 points, six rebounds, and two assists over 27 minutes for the team coached by Gregg Popovich.
Georgian teammate Sandro Mamukelashvili tallied three rebounds and one block in six minutes.
French Sidy Cissoko did not play.