The Mavs were up to 17 points ahead in the first quarter and then Golden State came back before halftime. But the Warriors’ lack of 3-point skill (11/43, 25%) ended up costing them a fourth straight win.
After their offensive explosion in Minnesota, the Warriors start the game 2 out of 12 on shots, they lose 4 balls, and see the address of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dorian Finney-Smith give the Mavs a 17-point lead (23- 6). Stephen Curry and the substitutes wake up the Dubs but 11 points from Luka Doncic and 10 points on offensive rebounds keep Dallas in front (36-24). Under the impetus of Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga, the Warriors start the quarter on a 16-6 and take advantage of Doncic’s rest time to get back in the game (42-40).
Stephen Curry drives the point home with two award-winning shots and two assists for Wiggins and Kuminga to put the Warriors ahead but Luka Doncic stops the bleeding. The league’s top scorer will get his points on the throw line to give his team a point lead at the break (55-54).
The Mavs return to the burning floor. They score four of their first six 3-pointers to regain an eight-point lead (73-65). If Tim Hardaway Jr and Andrew Wiggins show up, this third quarter turns into a long-range duel between Luka Doncic and Stephen Curry. The Warrior scores 10 points, the Mav 13 and Dallas keep the lead (92-87).
On fire at the end of the third quarter, the referees very severely expelled Spencer Dinwiddie in the first minute of the last quarter, and the Warriors took the opportunity to inflict a 13-4 on the Mavs (100-96). Doncic immediately returns to the field and Dallas responds with 7-0 thanks to 3 lost balls in a row from Golden State. Three award-winning shots from Thompson, Kuminga, and Curry then put the Warriors at +2, but Tim Hardaway Jr answered them (111-110). In the money time, it is Luka Doncic and Josh Green who will make the difference as the Dubs persist in shooting from afar. Dallas finds the way to victory.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Warriors lacked composure in the 4th quarter. After 36 minutes, the Warriors were 71% from 2-pointers, with 44 of their 87 points scored inside the key, but 25% from 3-pointers. After their failed start to the match, they had only lost five balls in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. To win this encounter, they had to keep attacking the circle. This is what they did to regain the lead (100-96), before losing 7 balls which gave the Mavs 8 points. They were 9/10 from 2-pointers in the final quarter, before taking 12 3-pointers in the final moments of the game. With the same clumsiness.
– The Doncic dependency. All of Dallas’ play goes through Luka Doncic. When the latter blows on the bench, the Mavs are lost and the Warriors have taken advantage of it every time. They inflicted a 16-6 in Dallas at the start of the second quarter and a 13-4 to start the last period, a +19 in the nine minutes when Doncic was not on the floor! Luckily for the Mavs, Doncic was unstoppable for 39 minutes to avoid a fifth straight loss.
– Dallas capitalized on Golden State’s mistakes. The Mavs scored 24 points on their opponents’ 18 lost balls (+14 on the game), and they systematically punished them on offensive rebounds. Dallas took just 8 offensive rebounds but scored 18 points to only 3 for the Warriors.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Luka Doncic. The Mavs star became the tenth player since 1973 to record a triple-double with at least 40 points (to go with his 12 assists and 12 rebounds) while stealing 4 balls. He already ranks 4th in the career triple-double rankings!
✅ Tim Hardaway Jr.. Struggling with his 3-point shot since the start of the season, the Mavs winger scored 5 of his 11 attempts to finish with 22 points.
✅ Josh Green. The substitute full-back continues to show all his progress. Factor X, he scored 7 of his 13 points in the last quarter to come and support Luka Doncic.
✅ Jonathan Kuminga. Solid for several games, the Congolese again confirmed his good run with a double-double off the bench (14 points, 10 rebounds) and a good defense on Luka Doncic. Steve Kerr even said after the game that it was the best game of his young career.
✅ ⛔Stephen Curry. The Warriors point guard again blackened the stat sheet (32 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds) but he was clumsy for once, finishing the game at 5/14 from 3-pointers.
⛔ Klay Thompson-Jordan Poole-Andrew Wiggins. Stephen Curry’s lieutenants all got through that night. They finished 7 of 29 on shots, including 3 of 18 from three-pointers. Jordan Poole still delivered 9 assists but lost valuable balls late in the game. Klay Thompson missed the equalizer on a super system from Steve Kerr.
THE FOLLOWING
Golden State (11-10) : the Warriors host Chicago and Houston back-to-back on Friday and Saturday.
Dallas (10-10): The Mavs travel to Detroit on Thursday.
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