Stephon Castle joins elite company from San Antonio with a career-best performance against the Mavericks

With the almost orchestral command of the court, Stephon Castle led the San Antonio Spurs to a 138-125 victory against the Dallas Mavericks. The second-year guard recorded a game-high 40 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for his second career triple-double. He became only the fifth player in Spurs history to score a triple-double of 30 pointshe joined Dejounte Murray (three times), David Robinson (twice), Victor Wembanyama (twice) and Alvin Robertson.

Castle made 15 of 19 shots from the field, including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc, and made 7 of 10 free throws. He also contributed three steals and a block in 32 minutes, joining Wilt Chamberlain as one of the few players in NBA history to surpass 75 percent shooting in a 40-point triple-double game. His reign night grew with a signature windmill dunk over a missed shot that put San Antonio up 129-108 with just over six minutes left.

Controlling the pace from the opening whistle, the Spurs built an 11-point lead after the first quarter that turned into an 81-67 halftime lead, San Antonio’s largest halftime total this season. Devin Wassel scored 17 points and Vembanyama had a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. Furthermore, De’Aaron Fox contributed 15 points, and bench players Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant each scored 11 points. The Spurs, converting 55.6 percent of their field goal attempts and controlling the paint, transformed the game into a rapid-fire exhibition outside of Dallas.

Meanwhile, Klay Thompson led all Mavericks scorers with 19 points. Marvin Bagley III, Dallas’ latest addition in the Anthony Davis trade to the Washington Wizards, had 16 points and 12 rebounds. Brandon Williams contributed 18 points. Cooper Flegg’s four-game streak of 30-plus points came to a halt, as he finished with 14 points and was held off the floor in the fourth quarter. The Mavericks have now lost seven straight games, including the season series against San Antonio.

The Spurs, now winners of nine of their last 12 games and on a four-game hitting streak, improved to 36-16, keeping them in second place in the Western Conference, 3.5 games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kicking off their annual Rodeo Road Trip, the Spurs will face the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.