San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama wasn’t willing to take a backseat to anyone on Tuesday night, including new in-state rival Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks.
The Spurs overwhelmed the Mavericks in a 125-92 victory on the road to open the season on Wednesday night.
It was Wembanyama’s first regular-season game since he had his 2024-25 season cut short due to deep vein thrombosis.
Wembanyama produced an incredible double-double in the outing with 40 points and 15 rebounds.
Flagg, the 2025 No. 1 overall pick, has a lot of hype behind him, but he struggled to find his way in the first half. He was held scoreless before halftime before scoring his first career points in the third quarter.
The rookie managed to pick things up down the stretch and finished with a double-double performance.
Here’s how the biggest game in Texas played out on Wednesday night.
Spurs vs. Mavericks highlights
Final: Spurs 125, Mavericks 92
Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle push the Spurs past the Mavericks for a road win to start the season.
Castle added 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 29 minutes of play. Devin Vassell added 13 points. Anthony Davis led the Mavericks with 22 points in the loss.
Victor Wembanyama scores 40 points
Wembanyama produced a double-double with 40 points and 15 rebounds in 30 minutes of play. He shot 15-of-21 from the field.
3Q: Spurs 93, Mavericks 72
Victor Wembanyama scored 10 points in the quarter to continue pushing San Antonio past the in-state rival Mavericks.
Wembanyama has produced a double-double performance with 10 of 11 rebounds coming on defense. Stephon Castle added 18 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Spurs through three quarters.
The Mavericks have struggled to keep up with the Spurs, being outscored 33-21 in the quarter.
Cooper Flagg scores first points
Cooper Flagg had a slow start in the first half of his regular-season debut. After going scoreless through the first two quarters, he scored his first points early in the third quarter.
He’s now 1-of-3 from the field.
Halftime: Spurs 60, Mavericks 51
The Spurs finish the second quarter on a 15-3 scoring run.
Victor Wembanyama had 21 points and seven of his eight rebounds on defense in the first half for the Spurs. Stephon Castle added 13 points, four assists and four rebounds.
Anthony Davis scored a team-high 12 points in the first half for the Mavericks, with 10 coming in the first quarter. He also had 10 rebounds for a double-double.
P.J. Washington added 10 points after shooting 4-for-5 from the field.
1Q: Mavericks 29, Spurs 28
Anthony Davis had 10 points and five rebounds for the Mavericks in the first quarter. Cooper Flagg did not score in the first quarter after shooting 0-for-2 from the field.
Victor Wembanyama scored 11 points in the opening quarter, shooting 4-for-5 from the field. He also went 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.
Spurs lead Mavericks early
The Spurs put together a 10-0 scoring run to lead the Mavericks 14-8 with 7:29 left in the first quarter.
How to watch Spurs at Mavericks
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 22
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. CT
Where: American Airlines Center in Dallas
TV: ESPN
Stream: Fubo
Stream Cooper Flagg’s NBA debut with Fubo
Dallas Mavericks starting lineup vs. Spurs
Rookie Cooper Flagg will start for the Mavericks tonight against the San Antonio Spurs.
Flagg is the youngest player in the NBA at 18 years, 10 months and a day old.
Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II will join the No. 1 overall pick in the starting lineup tonight.
San Antonio Spurs starting lineup vs. Mavericks
Forward Victor Wembanyama will headline the Spurs’ starting lineup.
Guard Stephon Castle, forward Harrison Barnes, forward Julian Champagnie and guard Devin Vassell will join Wembanyama in the lineup.
Spurs at Mavericks odds
*All odds via BetMGM
Spread: Mavericks (-2.5)
Moneyline: Mavericks (-145); Spurs (+118)
Over/Under: 226.5
