The Dallas Mavericks have spent two weeks in free fall, during which their coach, Jason Kidd, has lost his cool with the press. They can point to injuries sinking their season, yet they also run a starting lineup without a traditional point guard, and have lacked a spare penetrator to combine with top pick Cooper Flagg.
It’s game two of the miniseries, and the San Antonio Spurs have beat them twice this year. Despite some warts here and there, the Spurs are playing well and must continue to do so because the Oklahoma City Thunder’s first seed is vulnerable. Keep in mind that the Mavericks are on par with the league’s worst offensive rating on the road.
San Antonio Spurs (35-16) vs. Dallas Mavericks (19-32)
February 7, 2026 | 5:00 PM CT
Watch: Amazon Prime, FanDuel Sports | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs injuries: De’Aaron Fox — questionable (back); Luke Kornet — questionable (adductor, ankle); Jeremy Sochan — questionable (quad); Lindy Waters III — out (knee)
Mavericks injuries: Kyrie Irving — out (knee); Derrick Lively II — out (foot); Khris Middleton — doubtful (trade pending); Brandon Williams — probable (leg)
What to watch for
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The Mavericks spend nearly as much time in transition as the Spurs, yet are slightly more efficient, scoring 1.2 points per possession. They notably kept up the pace in Thursday’s game even when the Spurs were scoring efficiently, which is not easy to do because checking in the ball takes away precious seconds. The Spurs will need to get back promptly, and avoid being torched by a trailing shooter.
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Coach Mitch Johnson said on Thursday that Stephon Castle’s normal role is starting, but he dominated in 22 bench minutes in the win over the Wild Horses. Castle will play well regardless of when his minutes begin, but using him as a reserve gives the Spurs an advantage because second-string players are easier for him to take apart. Still, expect to see him get most of the defensive minutes on Flagg.
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The next best thing three years ago versus the next best thing now. It makes it much sweeter that both play in Texas, and divisional matchups usually carry extra intensity. Don’t expect Wembanyama to guard him much because he’s only spent 83 seconds doing that this season, although it would be nice to see him take an unorthodox assignment. Giannis Antetokounmpo neutralized Jimmy Butler in the 2021 first round when guarding him, and maybe Wemby could do something similar.
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League tracking data says the Mavericks are the 11th-best defense in the league, but it’s suspect, and their defensive numbers are better thanks to misses they didn’t cause. Opponents aren’t taking advantage of the Mavericks’ poor outside defense, only making 35.7 percent of the 18.7 wide-open attempts Dallas allows. A wide-open shot is defined as being open by six feet or more.
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