SAN ANTONIO — The Dallas Mavericks were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs 126-116 on Wednesday night. The Mavs battled throughout the contest, but the Spurs ultimately found a way to win. After the game, guard Dante Exum revealed the team's current state of mind amid all of the injuries and adversity of the 2024-25 campaign.
“It's pretty positive,” Exum said of the Mavericks' team vibe amid the injury adversity. “Obviously it's a tough stretch with multiple injuries, but I think we're keeping it positive. Obviously everyone is getting a lot of minutes… It's going out there saying, ‘play free, have fun.'”
Mavericks dealing with injury adversity
With the defeat, the Mavericks fell to 33-34 overall. It has been a rough stretch for the team without question, as Dallas has dropped six of its past seven games. Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and the rest of the Mavs' injuries are unquestionably playing a significant role in the team's overall struggles.
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The good news is that PJ Washington could return soon. Washington's return will be of the utmost importance as Dallas looks to clinch an NBA Play-In Tournament spot.
“It's the same thing… We want to go into every game trying to win,” Exum said of the Mavs' goals at the moment. “That's no different. I think it gives a lot of guys opportunities to play more minutes to show what they can do and kind of hold the fort down until we get some guys back. But until then, we're gonna continue to battle.”
The Mavericks' next game is scheduled for Friday against the Houston Rockets. Friday's contest represents the final affair of their current three-game road trip, as Dallas will return home on Sunday to host the Philadelphia 76ers. The next few weeks of basketball will be pivotal as the Mavs attempt to clinch a postseason spot.