‘Telling On Ourselves’: Naji Marshall, Kyrie Irving Say Dallas Mavericks Must Start Faster After Erasing 19-Point Deficit Against San Antonio Spurs

SAN ANTONIO — The Dallas Mavericks gave up 32 points in the first quarter and 36 in the second Wednesday night, then trailed the San Antonio Spurs by 19 with 8:31 left in the third. Dallas outscored San Antonio 60-44 in the second half and led 103-100 with 5:38 left before losing 112-111 at Frost Bank Center.

Naji Marshall said Dallas got back into the game by playing its style of basketball and not getting so down on itself. He checked back in with 7:55 left in the third quarter and Dallas down 73-54.

“I mean, I feel like it’s a bad thing. I feel like we’re kinda telling on ourselves and showing ourselves personally what we’re doing wrong,” Marshall said. “I feel like we’re letting ourselves down. Just practice what we preach, go out there from the jump and play like that. Who knows how the game will turn out.”

San Antonio Spurs Score 68 In First Half

San Antonio led 68-51 at halftime. The Spurs went 25-of-27 at the free-throw line in the first half, scored 34 points in the paint, and had 13 fast-break points to Dallas’ 0. Victor Wembanyama had 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks before the break and finished with career highs of 52 points and 24 rebounds.

Dallas scored 29 points in the third quarter and 31 in the fourth. The Spurs scored 22 in each quarter after halftime.

“It’s something we talked about before the game. Like I said, we just [told] ourselves that energy we gotta bring out from the jump,” Marshall explained. “And like I said, who knows what favor that ball game goes if we play like that from the jump.”

The Mavericks shot 32.8% from the field in the first half and 45.5% in the second. San Antonio shot 39.2% before halftime and 38.6% after it.

“I don’t know, I don’t know. I don’t know the answer for that one. [Just] gotta be better,” Marshall said.

San Antonio had 15 offensive rebounds and 18 second-chance points in the first half. Kyrie Irving scored 17 of his 29 points before halftime.

“We just got back to the identity that we’re trying to build for ourselves, which is, it’s not so much a desperation basketball, but it’s just playing to be the hunters,” Irving said. “I think we were playing on our heels a little bit too much in the first half. They were getting a lot of offensive rebounds, a lot of second chances. We were holding them to, I believe, under 39% or around 39% on the first actions. They were missing shots. And they got to the free-throw line. They slowed down the game.”

“So you got to give them credit for the first half. But the second half, I feel like we hit them. They had to respond, and that’s what got us back in the game,” Irving continued. “But it really came down to our effort and guys being ready to play, coming off the bench and giving us some firepower.”

Kyrie Irving, Dusty May On Dallas Mavericks’ Second-Half Identity

Before tip-off, Mavericks coach Dusty May said Dallas had to be the team playing with the most desperation after Monday’s 115-100 home loss to the Sacramento Kings. Sacramento had not won a game before Monday.

“I just thought we got lost in the fight in the second half. We competed at a high, high level,” May said. “It looked like every single possession was the utmost importance, and that’s how we have to play. Even though we didn’t shoot our best and we didn’t get to the line as much as we’d like, things like that, we still played with a high, high level competitive spirit.”

“Obviously there’s a couple possessions we wish we had back as a group, but you don’t get them back, and so now it’s our job to learn from them,” May continued.

Dallas had 10 fast-break points in the second half after none in the first, and it went 14-of-18 at the line after halftime. San Antonio had no fast-break points in the second half.

“And when you’re giving up that amount of points in the first half, teams are gonna be very comfortable, and you gotta work your way back,” Irving explained. “We’ve seen a few games from us like this throughout the season, but I think we have to start treading in a direction where we’re going into halftime with the lead, and we’re comfortable filling out the rest of the game and the rhythm, and we’re giving the game what it needs.”

Dallas has lost both meetings with San Antonio this season, by 16 on Oct. 24 and by 1 on Wednesday. The Mavericks shot 51.1% in the first game and turned it over 21 times.

“Right now, competitive me wants to say nothing. But big picture me, and knowing the league and what we’re in, it’s definitely some positive notes that we can take on to the next game, like I said,” Irving said. “But I could talk your ear off about the game and what we can give and continue to give. But I think our actions got to speak louder than our words. So it was a tough one, but this one-point game isn’t a snapshot of just where we are as a team.”

The Mavericks play again in two days, when the Utah Jazz visit for NBA Cup group play. Dallas has lost two straight.

“I give us a lot of grace, but at the same time, I like to [light a] fire under our a– a little bit coming into, Monday, excuse me, Friday night against the Jazz,” Irving said.

Tip-off Friday at American Airlines Center is set for 7 p.m. CT. San Antonio (6-2) has won six straight.