SAN ANTONIO – Even with so many new faces on the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks, the I-35 rivalry is alive and well. The Spurs won in overtime, 113-108.
DeMar DeRozan had a chance to win it in regulation but his fall-away from the left side hit front rim and bounced away.
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"Patty ( Mills) told me go out there and win the game before overtime and I missed the shot and I told him I wasn't going to miss the next one," DeMar DeRozan said.
And he didn't. DeRozan hit a perfect three out of three for six of the Spurs 11 overtime points. He finished the night with 34 points, six rebounds and nine assists.
"He's a really good player, he loves those moments and he is not afraid of failure," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said.
The Spurs have added an unquestioned finisher in DeRozan to go along with a few other options.
"He kind of fueled us hit some big shots changed the momentum,"said Bryn Forbes, who scored 12 points.
"I am certainly not surprised when he makes them," Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said.
The Spurs looked like they were going to take the game over in the second quarter when Rudy Gay hit a bucket to put the Spurs up 13, 53-40 with 1:39 left. After a Dallas time out, the Mavericks cut the lead to 53-45 at the half.
They then opened the third with a 21-6 run.
Luke Doncic scored 14 in the quarter for Dallas and finished 31 points. They got the lead to seven but the Spurs fought back.
It was back and fourth from there until the Spurs finally pulled it out in OT.
"We'll play these guys three more times. We'll look forward to the next chance to compete against them. They are a hell of a team but we were right there," Carlisle said.
Just where that rivalry is, still right there.