Spencer Dinwiddie scored 28 points off the bench as the undermanned Dallas Mavericks outlasted the host San Antonio Spurs 133-129 on Monday in the first of two games in three nights between the Lone Star State rivals.
Both teams were playing the second of a back-to-back, but San Antonio at least had a full complement of players. The Mavericks had just eight available players available — the mandated NBA minimum — because of injuries and salary-cap restrictions.
Despite being short-handed, Dallas snapped a season-worst five game losing streak.
Harrison Barnes’ putback dunk brought San Antonio within 121-118 with 2:42 left.
A pair of free throws by Dinwiddie built Dallas’ lead back to five, after which Naji Marshall canned a jumper with 1:36 remaining to push the margin to seven points.
Stephon Castle hit a 3-pointer and Keldon Johnson added a second-chance jumper with 49.8 seconds left to trim the Spurs’ deficit to 125-123. Kessler Edwards responded with a pair of free throws with 45.5 seconds to play.
Following a San Antonio turnover, Marshall converted two from the charity stripe to make it a five-point game with 32.7 seconds remaining.
Johnson’s 3-pointer with 8.3 seconds left made it a three-point game. Klay Thompson and Marshall then sealed the win with two free throws each as the Mavericks held on.
Thompson added 26 points for Dallas, while Marshall hit for 23, Edwards racked up 22 points and 11 rebounds and Max Christie and Dante Exum scored 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Barnes led the Spurs with a season-high 29 points and Johnson tied his season best with 28.
Devin Vassell added 24 points and De’Aaron Fox and Castle had 14 each for San Antonio, which has dropped three straight and four of its past five games.
San Antonio was up 34-28 after the opening period. Dallas rallied to take a 58-57 lead thanks to a Dinwiddie three-point play, and the visitors expanded their advantage to 60-57 on a putback layup by Marshall with 2:37 to play until halftime.
The Spurs ended the half with a 6-0 run and carried a 63-60 lead to the break. Barnes led San Antonio with 17 points before halftime, while Vassell had 16 in the first half.
Dinwiddie’s 18 points led all scorers over the first 24 minutes, and Dallas also got 12 from Edwards.
