‘The Best Player In The World’: Victor Wembanyama Hits 40 Again As San Antonio Spurs Hand Shorthanded Dallas Mavericks 139-120 Loss

SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama delivered the performance he needed when it mattered most. He scored 40 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in 26 minutes Friday night, reaching the NBA’s 65-game threshold for postseason award eligibility in the process, as the San Antonio Spurs handed the Dallas Mavericks a 139-120 defeat at a sold-out Frost Bank Center. Tip-off was at 7 p.m. CT.

The result dropped Dallas to 25-56, extended its losing streak to four games, and concluded the regular-season road schedule for a Mavericks team that has now lost 11 of its last 13. The Spurs improved to 62-19 and remained locked in as the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed.

De’Aaron Fox added 18 points and 10 assists. Keldon Johnson scored 17 points off the bench. Harrison Barnes chipped in 15 points. Julian Champagnie posted 14 points and 7 rebounds. Dylan Harper had 13 points and 6 assists.

For Dallas, Cooper Flagg finished with 33 points on 13-of-25 shooting, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in 32 minutes. Max Christie scored 16 points on 4-of-7 from three. AJ Johnson and Ryan Nembhard each scored 13. John Poulakidas added 12 points on 4-of-10 from beyond the arc. The Mavericks scored 120 points and turned the ball over just 7 times — numbers that in most games lead to wins — but San Antonio’s 72 points in the paint made the offensive output insufficient.

“The Spurs are a great team, the two seed in the West,” Christie said afterward. “Obviously, Victor had a great game, and they’re just a really well-constructed team. They’re great for a reason. 120 points for us is great, but 140 for them is not. Defensively, we could have done better. But like you said, seven turnovers is pretty good — we gave ourselves an opportunity to win and had a good offensive game.”

Victor Wembanyama Makes His Case, Again

Wembanyama wasted no time announcing his return to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s win over Portland with bruised ribs. On the game’s opening possession, he stepped through three Mavericks defenders and threw down a right-handed driving dunk. He never stopped.

The 7-foot-4 center scored 16 points in the first quarter alone, going 6-of-8 from the field, 2-of-4 from three, and 2-of-2 from the free throw line. He added a turnaround bank shot from 11 feet, a 27-foot step-back 3-pointer, and two dunks in the opening 12 minutes. By the time Dallas made its first real run, Wembanyama had already established control of the paint — a dominance the Mavericks never fully resolved.

He finished 14-of-23 from the field, 2-of-7 from three, and 10-of-11 from the free throw line, adding 5 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal. The performance was the fifth time this season he has reached 40 points, and it came in the same game in which he reached the NBA’s minimum of 65 appearances required for postseason individual awards eligibility. Wembanyama leads the league with 197 blocks and is favored to win Defensive Player of the Year.

“When you look at what Victor Wembanyama did in 25 minutes, he’s the best player in the world,” Kidd said. “We tried to slow him down, but he was able to control the paint. But again, I thought Coop had an incredible game and set the tone for us.”

The Mavericks made tactical adjustments in the second half, taking away the 3-pointer — Wembanyama went 0-of-1 from deep after halftime — but he answered by attacking the rim with even greater frequency. His ability to score in the paint, at the free throw line, and from midrange made every defensive concession a losing trade.

“When he’s shooting the three and you understand how hard it is to control him or guard him in the paint, it’s tough,” Kidd said. “He did both at a high rate tonight. We took away the three in the second half, but his ability to get to the paint and still score makes him extremely difficult to guard.”

Flagg, who spent significant stretches Friday as Wembanyama’s primary matchup assignment on the other end of the floor, described the experience plainly.

“It’s very difficult,” Flagg said. “He’s something different that you don’t see every day. He’s knocking down shots and getting to his spots. It’s tough to deal with.”

The season’s first meeting between these two franchises — on opening night in San Antonio — ended with Wembanyama posting 40 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks in a 125-92 rout. Friday’s 40-point performance closed a perfect sweep of the season series, with San Antonio winning all four meetings.

A Second-Quarter Run Gives Way to a Third-Quarter Collapse

The Spurs took control early. Wembanyama’s opening dunk, two Champagnie putback dunks, a Harper layup, and a Wembanyama step-back 3-pointer pushed San Antonio to an 11-2 lead inside the first three minutes. Dallas steadied itself from there, with Flagg scoring 9 of his team’s first 13 points to help the Mavericks stay within range, but San Antonio led 37-26 after one quarter.

The second quarter was a different story. Flagg came out with purpose, scoring 16 points in the period on 6-of-11 shooting. Christie caught fire from three. Nembhard and Khris Middleton facilitated with precision. The Mavericks outscored the Spurs 39-31 in the second quarter, and with 1:47 remaining before halftime, Middleton knocked down a 25-foot 3-pointer to give Dallas a 63-62 lead — the only time the Mavericks led in the game. The Spurs responded with five unanswered points in the closing 107 seconds to carry a 68-65 advantage into the break.

“Just being aggressive and getting to my spots,” Flagg said of that second-quarter stretch. “Once a couple go in, you start to feel a rhythm.”

The third quarter erased any optimism Dallas had built. The teams traded baskets and leads through the opening seven minutes — tying six times — before San Antonio detonated. Fox scored 14 of his 18 points in the period, drilling a 23-footer, a driving layup, and two more pull-up jumpers down the stretch as the Spurs went on a 27-8 run over the final six-plus minutes. When Moussa Cissé tipped in a layup at the buzzer, the score read 108-93. The damage was done.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson rode his starters hard through that third-quarter surge, and the lead held through a fourth quarter that saw San Antonio push its advantage as high as 24 before Dallas trimmed the deficit to 19 in the final seconds.

Cooper Flagg’s Season-Long Growth on Display

Flagg’s 33-point performance on 13-of-25 shooting — including a 3-of-7 mark from three — was one of the more well-rounded offensive outputs of his 81-game rookie season. He scored in bursts, worked from the midrange, and displayed the pull-up shot that has developed steadily as the year has progressed.

“I think it’s just growing more confident as the year has gone on,” Flagg said. “Playing at a better pace, getting into my spots, and living without the outcome.”

Kidd said Flagg’s willingness to come out aggressively has been the key variable in his best shooting nights.

“I think it’s just about feeling comfortable and being aggressive,” Kidd said. “The games where he comes out aggressive, the jump shot has been there. The next step is just being consistent.”

Christie, who has watched Flagg develop since October, offered his own read on what has changed.

“He’s slowing down and reading the game really well,” Christie said. “He’s using his body and reading the defense. He went 13-for-25 tonight, 3-for-7 from three — those seven attempts are great for him. He’s playing with his back to the basket more and making the right reads when teams double him. He’s growing through experience and will continue to do that.”

Flagg enters the regular-season finale averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists across 68 starts. He is the only player in the league this season to lead his team in all four major statistical categories — points, rebounds, assists, and steals — and if he holds those leads through Monday’s home finale against Chicago, he would join Michael Jordan as the only rookies in NBA history to accomplish that feat.

When asked whether his recent performances speak for themselves in the Rookie of the Year race, Flagg stayed measured.

“I’ve said it before — I’ve just stayed consistent with my work,” he said. “I go out there, play to my capabilities, and stay confident. I’ll let everything else — media and talk — figure itself out.”

And on the idea of a future Dallas-San Antonio rivalry built around himself and Wembanyama:

“Yeah, I think it could be cool,” Flagg said. “Hopefully we continue to get better as a team going into next season and win more games. Looking ahead, hopefully we can compete at a higher level.”

Supporting Cast Keeps Dallas Mavericks Respectable

With eight players unavailable Friday, Dallas relied on its deepest reserves for meaningful minutes, and several delivered.

Christie shot 4-of-7 from three and finished with 16 points. He has been experimenting with a quicker release in recent games, a process he described as an intentional developmental choice.

“I’ve been experimenting a little bit, trying to shoot it quicker and faster,” Christie said. “I’m continuing to find ways to get better even though it’s the end of the season. There’s no real consequence to missing shots right now, so it’s been a good practice ground to get real game reps. You can’t replicate that in the summer.”

Johnson, the undrafted guard who earned a standard contract from his two-way deal earlier this season, posted 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting with 2 assists and a block in 19 minutes. Kidd praised his offensive versatility.

“AJ was good offensively,” Kidd said. “I thought he did a good job finding guys and getting to the basket. His speed and length allow him to get downhill, and he was really good tonight.”

Nembhard contributed 13 points and 7 assists without committing a turnover in 30 minutes, continuing the kind of steady playmaking that led Kidd to say before Friday’s game that he would have been drafted in 2024 had teams been able to project his development.

Poulakidas shot 4-of-10 from three for 12 points. Dwight Powell pulled down 11 rebounds and dished 5 assists against 3 turnovers in nearly 25 minutes. Cisse finished with 7 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Tyler Smith added 6 points and 3 rebounds. Marvin Bagley III, upgraded to available Friday morning after going through a pregame workout at Frost Bank Center with a left shoulder impingement, played 8 minutes before exiting and contributed 2 points and 1 rebound.

“It’s always great to be around young guys trying to find their way in the league,” Christie said of the two-way contributors. “It’s cool to see their tenacity and willingness to grow. John’s been playing really well, Tyler’s been great too. They show up every day trying to make a name for themselves.”

Kidd said the performance of this group — regardless of wins and losses — remains the proper lens for evaluating the season’s final stretch.

“The priority is the way these young men have played,” Kidd said before the game. “They’ve played extremely hard and played well for us. The two-way guys have done a really good job. You look at Ryan going from a two-way to a standard contract — that’s development. There are a lot of positives going on with us.”

Dallas Mavericks Faced a Lengthy Injury Report

Klay Thompson (illness), Naji Marshall (left hip contusion), P.J. Washington (left elbow sprain), Caleb Martin (right plantar fascia strain), Daniel Gafford (rest), and Brandon Williams (illness) were all unavailable Friday. Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery) and Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery) remain out for the season. The Mavericks have had 357 total player-games missed to injury in 2025-26.

Thompson’s absence pushes his bid to become the 100th-leading scorer in NBA history to Monday’s regular-season home finale against Chicago. He needs just 2 points to pass Kevin McHale (17,335 career points) and enters with 17,334. Thompson holds the fourth-most 3-pointers in NBA history with 2,895 and has 184 triples off the bench this season, second-most in the NBA.

Stephon Castle did not play for San Antonio due to left foot soreness. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said Castle is close to returning ahead of the postseason.

Up Next

The Mavericks close the 2025-26 regular season Monday at American Airlines Center against the Chicago Bulls. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. CT.

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