DALLAS — Saturday's home opener against the San Antonio Spurs was supposed to be the official coronation of the newest Dallas Mavericks star duo of Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving. Instead, it was a showcase of the team's supporting cast, one that pushed the defending Western Conference champions for three quarters until they were outmatched in a 122-106 loss at American Airlines Center. Dallas ...

On Oct. 14, 2026, Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May looks on during the second half of a preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

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DALLAS — Saturday's home opener against the San Antonio Spurs was supposed to be the official coronation of the newest Dallas Mavericks star duo of Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.

Instead, it was a showcase of the team's supporting cast, one that pushed the defending Western Conference champions for three quarters until they were outmatched in a 122-106 loss at American Airlines Center.

Dallas (1-2) was forced to play without two of its best players largely due to Friday's win over the Indiana Pacers. Flagg suffered a left shoulder sprain that will make him unavailable until he's reevaluated next week. Irving rested on the second night of a back-to-back as part of his left knee injury management.

Overall, the Mavericks were down six players, but the shorthanded group didn't back down to Victor Wembanyama and the rest of the Spurs.

Here are more thoughts from the Mavericks' loss to the Spurs:

Larry's AAC debut

Sergio de Larrea played sparingly in the Mavericks' first two regular-season games, but with Irving sidelined, the Mavericks rookie had ample opportunity to showcase his skills during his official AAC debut. He scored a team-high 21 points to go with five rebounds and four assists.

De Larrea played just seven minutes in the Mavericks' season opener at Houston and appeared overwhelmed by the Rockets' physicality and defensive pressure in that short amount of time. He played just one minute of garbage time in Friday's blowout win.

It was a different story on Saturday as he played 33 minutes and orchestrated the Mavericks' offense well. The 20-year-old rookie drained a few floaters, including one over Wembanyama, navigated the pick-and-roll with poise and provided consistent 3-point shooting on a night when the Mavericks feasted inside the paint. De Larrea looked comfortable in this role as a secondary initiator, as Naji Marshall started the game at the point guard position. His defense is an area for growth, but he was the Mavericks' best source of offense despite sharing a team-high four turnovers with fellow rookie Morez Johnson Jr.

It is unclear what de Larrea's role will look like once the Mavericks are fully healthy, if that point ever comes, but he made a positive step in his development on Saturday.

Paint points for everyone

One night after the Mavericks drilled 14 3-pointers, they found their strength inside the navy blue-colored paint on Saturday.

Dallas finished with 62 points inside the paint as opposed to making just 11 3-pointers on 28 attempts. The Mavs scored 60 points in the first half without their two best scorers and 46 of those occurred inside the paint. According to Elias Sports Bureau, that number is the most the Mavericks have scored in a single half in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98). The previous most was 44, which occurred three times in franchise history.

Despite Wembanyama being the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, the Mavericks attacked the paint early and often. P.J. Washington, who had 12 points and four rebounds, connected on two floaters over the 7-4 center.

During his introductory press conference, Mavericks coach Dusty May said he wanted his team to be equipped to win any type of game. On nights when 3-point looks aren't available, a game plan designed around the pick-and-roll and paint touches would be a good strategy to utilize.

Gafford produces despite early foul trouble

Daniel Gafford didn't attempt any 3-pointers as he did in the preseason opener, but he looked more like himself on Saturday. He flirted with a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds with three steals and two blocks. He battled foul trouble early in the game, but managed to finish with just three personal fouls. May has either staggered his minutes with Johnson or Moussa Cisse or used a small-ball lineup through the first three games.

Wembanyama looked human, sort of

Wembanyama spoiled the Mavericks' home opener last season with a statement game that was just the beginning of his third-year leap toward All-NBA and the league's Defensive Player of the Year. He was still a force to be reckoned with, but he didn't put up video game-like numbers this time around. He finished with 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting, seven rebounds and four blocks. Wembanyama threw down a few dunks, including a reverse alley-oop from a pass thrown by Stephon Castle, who added 19 points, four rebounds, eight assists and three steals.