Naji Marshall had just blocked De’Aaron Fox’s 13-foot pullup jumper and collected the defensive rebound when Dallas’s comeback lost its footing. Five seconds later, Devin Vassell took away Marshall’s errant pass, ending a possession the Mavericks had earned with a tie game and 1:24 still on the clock.
That sequence did not single-handedly produce San Antonio’s 112-111 victory Wednesday at Frost Bank Center. The Spurs still had to miss a 31-foot attempt, Dallas still had to miss another three, and P.J. Washington still had to foul Victor Wembanyama with 24.2 seconds remaining.
But the turnover belonged to a different category than the ordinary giveaways scattered through a game. Late in a tied game, a possession gained after a defensive stop is a chance to control the ending. Dallas did not keep it.
The Mavericks’ ball security over the full night was solid. They committed eight turnovers, compared with 10 by San Antonio, and the Spurs scored nine points off Dallas’s miscues. Dallas scored five off San Antonio’s turnovers. Those are respectable figures in a game featuring 49 combined assists. Marshall’s late mistake should not be inflated into a verdict on the team’s general care with the ball.
Its value was different because of when it happened and how the possession began. Marshall had just supplied the stop himself. Vassell deserves credit for reacting quickly and making the steal; he finished with two steals and no turnovers, even while missing all eight of his field-goal attempts.
There is no need to invent a passing lane or assign an intention to Marshall. The plain sequence says enough: Dallas defended successfully, secured the ball and gave it back before creating a shot.
Marshall’s offensive work had been central to the recovery. He put up thirteen points in the final period, making five of seven shots and all three of his three-point attempts in the period. His three at 9:46 cut San Antonio’s lead to 94-87.
A two-point basket at 8:45 and another three at 8:17 reduced the gap to 92-94. Those shots did not merely decorate the box score; they kept Dallas close while the Spurs repeatedly found answers.
The Mavericks finally moved in front when Washington made a three-pointer at 5:38, putting Dallas ahead 103-100 for the first time since the opening period. Wembanyama answered 18 seconds later with his only made three of the night. After Dylan Harper’s layup restored a San Antonio lead, Wembanyama added a basket at 3:15 and then scored again at 2:39 after collecting an offensive rebound.
Dallas kept responding. Cooper Flagg’s basket at 2:54 made it 106-107, and Kyrie Irving scored at 2:30 to pull the Mavericks within one. Wembanyama then missed both free throws at 2:10, giving Dallas another chance.
