The San Antonio Spurs look to keep their momentum growing in preparation for the upcoming playoffs when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday in the penultimate game of the regular season for the Lone Star State rivals.
The Spurs (61-19) have won 13 of their past 14 games and have gone 29-3 since Feb.1, but they still couldn’t run down Oklahoma City for the best record in either the Western Conference or the league. San Antonio has been forced to settle for second in both races and will host the seventh seed (either the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers or Portland Trail Blazers) in the first round of the playoffs next week.
“It’s an exciting time, and you can feel it,” Spurs forward Devin Vassell said of San Antonio’s first trip to playoffs since the 2018-19 campaign. “The fans are ready. The organization’s ready. We’re ready. I’m just excited for us to get it going.”
San Antonio heads into Friday’s game after a 112-101 home win over Portland on Wednesday that was produced with both Victor Wembanyama (left rib contusion) and Stephon Castle (right knee soreness) on the bench. Both players are listed as questionable to play against Dallas.
The Spurs got 25 points from De’Aaron Fox in the Portland victory, while Keldon Johnson added 20 points and Carter Bryant posted career highs with 17 points and four assists. Vassell had 14 points, Dylan Harper scored 13 and Luke Kornet hit for 10.
San Antonio’s bench players outscored Portland’s reserves 48-10. With little on the line in either Friday’s game or Sunday’s regular-season finale at home with Denver, expect the Spurs to continue to showcase their depth.
After Bryant’s career night, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson says the rookie will be a key part of his playoff rotation.
“Carter played within himself in terms of things that we’ve been talking about, and practicing and training on and the ball found him, and he shot (in) rhythm with confidence when he was open,” Johnson said. “He will play in the playoffs. Carter’s definitely grown just by the natural evolution of he had zero games under his belt before this year started.”
The Mavericks (25-55) travel south to the Alamo City after a 112-107 loss at Phoenix on Wednesday. John Poulakidas hit for a career-high 23 points and made five 3-pointers in the setback, while Marvin Bagley III had 20 points, Max Christie scored 18 and Cooper Flagg had 11 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for Dallas, strengthening his case for Rookie of the Year.
Dallas, which has dropped 10 of its past 12 contests, hung tough in the loss to the Suns in the second game of a road back-to-back despite playing without Naji Marshall (left hip contusion), P.J. Washington (left elbow sprain) and Klay Thompson (rest). Marshall and Washington are listed as doubtful for Friday’s game.
That situation gave Poulakidas, a rookie, a chance to show how he’s grown this season, and he made the most of that chance.
“I wanted to come into this game playing freely, playing aggressively, and I thought I did that,” said Poulakidas, a former March Madness hero for Yale. “When I was going through my pregame routines, I was filling a little bit of extra juice because I knew that I was going to get the opportunity. I just wanted to be ready when the ball came to me.”
The Spurs have captured all three games against Dallas this season.
