Slovenian superstar Luka Dončić opened his seventh NBA season with the Dallas Mavericks with a win. The Dallas team beat San Antonio Spurs 120:109 with Dončić racking up 28 points, ten rebounds and eight assists as the top scorer for the home team.

Dončić's new teammate Klay Thompson added 22 points, including six three-pointers, in his Dallas debut on 24 October.

The Mavericks found their stroke until the third quarter to flip their two-point halftime deficit into a 14-point lead. They surged again after the Spurs pulled within seven points entering the fourth quarter, building a 111-90 cushion with 6:01 to play.

Despite recording a game high, the 25-year-old Ljubljana player was not completely happy with his performance. "I played terrible," he said at the press conference after the game.

"It is the energy. The vets pick up the energy," he said in praising the team. "Big energy. My first game in four months. I was tired."

Commenting on his new teammate Thompson he said: "It's easy to play with a guy like that. It makes your life easier ... It makes my life and Kai's [Kyrie Irving] life easier. It makes the whole team's life easier."

Veteran Kyrie Irving had 15 points as well as making a major contribution on defence.

The Mavericks will play their road opener on 26 October at Phoenix.