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The San Antonio Spurs are back in the win column.
After dropping their first two games of the season, the Spurs found some rhythm Saturday night, defeating the Dallas Mavericks 122-106 at American Airlines Center.
Dallas was shorthanded, but the victory was an important one for San Antonio.
Victor Wembanyama led the way with 23 points and four blocks, while Dylan Harper added 22 points. De'Aaron Fox had 19 points and nine assists, while Stephon Castle contributed 19 points and eight assists, each giving the Spurs a balanced offensive performance.
Devin Vassell added a well-rounded performance of his own, finishing with 11 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals without committing a turnover.
The trio of Fox, Castle, and Harper combined for 19 assists and eight steals, showing encouraging signs of the chemistry San Antonio has been working to establish.
It wasn't a perfect performance. The Spurs struggled with their execution early, and Dallas kept the game competitive before San Antonio pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson saw something worth building on.
"Effort goes a long way," Johnson said. "As simple as it sounds, and as talented as these guys are, consistent effort with just a little bit of togetherness and execution, can really be something to grow upon and build upon."
Now, San Antonio has a chance to keep that momentum going.
The Sacramento Kings arrive at Frost Bank Center on Tuesday still searching for their first victory. Despite a roster with plenty of individual talent, Sacramento has struggled to find its footing, beginning the regular season 0-3.
The Kings' latest loss came Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies, who defeated Sacramento 123-112 despite a 37-point performance from Zach LaVine.
The struggles haven't gone unnoticed within Sacramento's locker room.
"Sometimes it's organized from the top down," LaVine said when discussing how a team develops leadership and chemistry. "Sometimes it's organized from a certain player on the team, like a Chris Paul ... a very high-level leader ... It can come from a veteran coach or even a bench coach."
"But we're all working through it. We don't really have any of that right now, and it's not going to come anytime soon."
The Kings’ lack of cohesion presents an opportunity for the Spurs.
The Spurs appear likely to stick with the starting lineup that helped secure their first win.
Fox, Castle and Harper have started alongside Vassell and Wembanyama.
Saturday displayed the chemistry San Antonio is beginning to find again. The Spurs moved the ball with purpose, recording 34 assists while committing just 12 turnovers.
That teamwork extends beyond the starting five, with Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes, Luke Kornet and Carter Bryant continuing to find their roles within the rotation.
Rookie center Tarris Reed Jr. got his chance, and made a strong impression against Dallas.
Reed entered the fourth quarter and made his presence valuable immediately.
"That was probably the best three minutes anyone played," Harper said of Reed. "He came in and just played hard. He played with the kind of intensity we needed."
Reed’s impact cannot be explained by his box score alone. His performance could give Mitch Johnson another option as he continues evaluating the team's rotations.
Sacramento, meanwhile, is projected to start rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. alongside LaVine, Precious Achiuwa, De'Andre Hunter and Domantas Sabonis.
The Kings have talent across their lineup.
LaVine remains a dangerous perimeter scorer, while Sabonis anchors the offense with his physical presence and playmaking. De'Andre Hunter adds scoring and defensive versatility, and Precious Achiuwa brings energy and rebounding to the frontcourt. Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. provides another scoring threat as he continues adjusting to the NBA.
Malik Monk remains a key scoring threat off Sacramento's bench, capable of providing an offensive spark. Jonathan Mogbo and rookie Emanuel Sharp offer additional depth, though injuries to Keegan Murray (ankle), Dylan Cardwell (calf), Maxime Raynaud (knee) and Ben Simmons (Achilles) leave the Kings shorthanded.
Tuesday marks the first game of another back-to-back for San Antonio, who will travel to face the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
That quick turnaround could influence how Johnson manages his rotation, particularly against Utah. Even so, the Spurs have shown a willingness to rely on their regular contributors when healthy.
The Spurs have an opportunity on Tuesday.
Sacramento has enough talent to challenge San Antonio, but its early struggles reflect a team still trying to figure out how its pieces fit together. However, the Kings should not be overlooked.
LaVine scored 37 points against Memphis, while Acuff added 22. Sabonis finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds, showing the kind of production Sacramento can generate even when the results aren't going its way.
The Kings also showed resilience, fighting back to tie the game late in the fourth quarter before Memphis pulled away.
For San Antonio, the challenge will be maintaining the energy and execution that made the difference against Dallas. And perhaps more importantly, the Spurs have to continue improving their tendencies.
Mitch Johnson made that clear following Saturday's win.
"There can be a lot of things that are all true at once, but we need to start raising some of the floor on some of those habits," Johnson said.
Each Spur can take notes from Reed. His minutes against Dallas weren't defined by scoring, or flashy plays. They were defined by effort, physicality and a hunger to make the most of an opportunity. That kind of energy can be contagious for this tight-knit team.
Although the Kings' struggles could make Tuesday a favorable matchup, Sacramento's individual talent still demands attention. San Antonio will need to avoid the lapses that hurt it in its first two games and continue building chemistry on both ends of the floor.
The Kings are still searching for answers. San Antonio has started finding some of its own.
Now, the Spurs have a chance to turn one win into something more.
Ahead of Tuesday's matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings, here's everything you need to know:
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