P.J. Washington’s 24-foot three at 5:38 of the fourth quarter gave Dallas its first lead since the opening period. Eighteen seconds later, Victor Wembanyama answered from behind the arc, and San Antonio eventually escaped with a 112-111 victory.
That brief exchange framed Washington’s night unusually well. He was productive enough to help drag the Mavericks back from a 19-point deficit, scoring 21 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and making three of eight threes. He also blocked a layup with 1:49 remaining. Then, with 24.2 seconds left, his shooting foul gave Wembanyama the free throw that put the Spurs ahead for good.
Washington was hardly the central reason Dallas lost. He was one of the principal reasons the Mavericks had a chance to win. But one-point games are ruthless editors. They leave room for a player’s best contribution and his most expensive mistake on the same page.
The lead three was built from second efforts. At 5:48, Washington missed a running layup. Walter Clayton Jr. collected the offensive rebound, missed a tip shot, secured another offensive rebound and kept the possession alive. Washington then took the pass and converted from 24 feet, turning a 100-100 tie into a 103-100 Dallas advantage.
San Antonio’s response came from the player who had spent the evening bending the game toward the basket. Wembanyama finished with 52 points, 24 rebounds and eight blocks, despite going 1-for-8 from three. He made 16 of 28 field goals, including 15 of 20 on two-point attempts, and produced enough interior scoring and free throws to make one long-range answer feel perfectly sufficient.
Washington’s work on the glass became just as important as his shot-making. Early in the fourth quarter, Wembanyama grabbed three offensive rebounds around consecutive misses before Washington finally secured the defensive rebound at 9:22. The possession did not erase San Antonio’s control, but it illustrated the assignment facing Dallas’ forwards: a contest against Wembanyama was merely the first chore.
Washington finished with four offensive rebounds and six defensive rebounds. Dallas collected 18 offensive rebounds to San Antonio’s 22, while the Spurs held a 61-50 edge overall. That was not a rebounding collapse by Dallas.
It was a reminder that San Antonio’s extra chances often came from the player least likely to be denied twice. Wembanyama’s nine offensive rebounds kept turning ordinary misses into continued possessions.
The Mavericks found other ways to make the finish tense. Naji Marshall provided thirteen points in the fourth quarter, including the three-pointer at 1:41 that pulled Dallas even at 111. Cooper Flagg supplied 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Kyrie Irving finished with 29 points.
Dallas’ reserves also outscored San Antonio’s bench 38-10. Those contributions mattered because Wembanyama’s supporting cast shot just 21-for-67 from the field.
Washington’s block at 1:49 looked capable of changing the ending. With Dallas behind 109-108, he rejected Dylan Harper’s two-foot running layup. Yet Wembanyama seized the loose opportunity and tipped in the second chance at 1:47, restoring San Antonio’s three-point lead. Washington made the correct first play; Dallas did not complete the possession.
