Spurs vs Mavericks: Stephon Castle’s 40-point triple-double buries Dallas again
The San Antonio Spurs made it two straight over the Dallas Mavericks with a 138–125 win Saturday night, riding a historic triple-double from rookie guard Stephon Castle and turning a brief rivalry-style mini-series into a statement of momentum. Castle posted career highs with 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists as San Antonio extended its winning streak to four, while Dallas slid to a seventh consecutive loss.
The result followed a 135–123 Spurs win in Dallas on Thursday, giving San Antonio a sweep of the two-game set and leaving the Mavericks still winless against the Spurs this season.
Castle delivers a night that changed the game early
Castle’s line wasn’t just loud—it was game-shaping. He attacked downhill, finished through contact, and kept Dallas rotating with quick reads when help arrived. The Spurs played at a pace that forced the Mavericks to defend multiple actions in a single possession, and Castle repeatedly punished late closeouts.
San Antonio’s separation came before the fourth quarter. The Spurs closed the second quarter with a surge that stretched the margin and put Dallas in catch-up mode the rest of the way.
The numbers that mattered most
San Antonio led 81–67 at halftime and pushed the advantage as high as 28 in the third quarter. Dallas kept scoring enough to make the final margin look manageable, but the game’s shape rarely changed after the Spurs’ midgame push.
| Key box score notes | Spurs | Mavericks |
|---|---|---|
| Final score | 138 | 125 |
| Halftime score | 81 | 67 |
| Largest lead | 28 | — |
| Castle points / rebounds / assists | 40 / 12 / 12 | — |
Supporting cast: Spurs stay balanced behind the headliner
Castle’s performance drew the spotlight, but the Spurs’ balance is what made the win feel routine. Devin Vassell added 17 points. Victor Wembanyama contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds, providing stability on the glass and a scoring release valve when possessions bogged down. De’Aaron Fox chipped in 15, helping San Antonio keep pressure on Dallas’ perimeter defenders.
The bench also mattered. San Antonio got useful minutes and scoring pops from multiple reserves, which helped maintain tempo when the starters rotated. In a high-possession game, that depth is often the difference between building a lead and merely trading runs.
Dallas’ problems: defense, depth, and a cold stretch that keeps growing
For the Mavericks, the headline remains the skid. Seven straight losses has turned each game into a referendum on effort, structure, and availability. Dallas did get scoring across the rotation—Klay Thompson led with 19, Brandon Williams had 18, and Max Christie added 17—but the stops never came consistently enough to flip the game.
Rookie Cooper Flagg finished with 14 points and did not play in the fourth quarter as the game drifted. His quieter night stood out only because he had been on a run of huge scoring games before this one; against San Antonio’s length and pace, the looks were harder and the margin for mistakes smaller.
What this mini-sweep says about both teams
For San Antonio, the back-to-back wins underline a larger shift: the Spurs are stacking results with confidence, and the young core is starting to produce “carry” performances without the offense devolving into hero ball. Castle’s breakout shows why the Spurs believe they can play fast, share the load, and still have a closer-by-committee approach when games tighten.
For Dallas, the same two games highlighted how quickly an opponent can turn small weaknesses into a flood. When transition defense slips, when rotations are a beat slow, and when offensive possessions end without clean floor balance, the Spurs are happy to run. Over two games, that pressure compounded.
What’s next to watch
San Antonio now heads into its next stretch with a clear identity: pace, movement, and multiple creators who can bend a defense. The Spurs’ challenge is sustaining it through tougher matchups and nights when the threes don’t fall—continuing to win with defense and rebounding when the offense isn’t humming.
Dallas’ immediate task is more basic: stop the bleeding. Breaking the losing streak requires finding a dependable defensive formula—whether that means simplifying coverages, tightening transition priorities, or shortening the rotation to keep communication cleaner. If the Mavericks can’t generate stops, even solid scoring nights will keep ending in the same place.
Sources consulted: Reuters; NBA.com; ESPN; San Antonio Express-News
