San Antonio Spurs Have 'Lot of Learning to Go' After Loss vs. Dallas Mavericks

“We’re a young group," San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Devin Vassell said after the game. "We still got to learn, and we still have a lot of learning to go."

The San Antonio Spurs are in the loss column after a 126-119 defeat against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

Playing an experienced Mavericks group that's won in the playoffs before can be quite the challenge for a young team like the Spurs, but they held their own by playing it tight until the game's last moments. From there, Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic made key buckets that iced the game.

Playing in a close game this early in the season can be big for the Spurs' growth.

San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) shoots against Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) in the first half at the Frost Bank Center / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

“We’re a young group," shooting guard Devin Vassell said after the game. "We still got to learn, and we still have a lot of learning to go. It’s our first game, so we can’t overreact. We can’t panic. It’s a 48-minute game. We were up a lot of the game and credit to [the Mavericks]. They’re a good team. They weathered the storm, and we just have to execute. That’s all it is.”

The Spurs will have plenty of time to learn with 81 games to go, but it's a one-game-at-a-time approach. San Antonio enters the season without much quantitative goals, it really is about seeing the team improve game by game. If the Spurs can do that, they can hold their heads up high.

The Spurs are back in action tomorrow night when they host their other Lone Star State rival in the Houston Rockets. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and can be watched on Bally Sports Southwest or NBA League Pass.