De’Aaron Fox recorded 32 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs ended a three-game skid with a 126-116 victory over the injury-riddled Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
San Antonio (27-37) secured its fourth win in 12 games since losing Victor Wembanyama for the season, while Dallas (33-34) remained 10th in the Western Conference, clinging to the final play-in tournament spot.
Fox shot 12-for-25 from the field in his highest-scoring game since joining the Spurs in a trade with the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 5.
Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan each contributed 18 points off the bench, while Devin Vassell finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Brandon Williams led Dallas with 19 points in his return from a one-game absence due to a hamstring injury, and Dante Exum added 17 points.
The Mavericks, who defeated the Spurs 133-129 on Monday, were once again without key players, including Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
Dallas controlled the opening quarter, closing on a 19-4 run to take a 28-20 lead. The Mavericks extended their advantage to 11 points in the second while shooting 60% from the field.
San Antonio responded with a dominant 44-point second quarter, taking a 64-62 lead at halftime.
Fox ignited an 8-0 run in the third, finishing with 11 points in the period as the Spurs pushed their lead to 82-73. Chris Paul had nine points and nine assists in 25 minutes.
Dallas, which had only nine active players, struggled defensively in the second half as San Antonio capitalized on its depth, outscoring the Mavericks 33-25 in the third quarter.
The Spurs maintained control in the fourth, sealing the win with efficient late-game execution.
San Antonio finished with a 47-31 rebounding edge and outscored Dallas 58-46 in the paint.
Despite the loss, the Mavericks remain 2.5 games ahead of Phoenix for the final play-in spot as they await the return of key players.
