What we learned when the Warriors failed in the shootout against the Mavs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Too much Luka Dončić, too little time for the Warriors Sunday night at Chase Center in a 143-133 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
What a difference in the styles of a game. A few days later an early exit 91-90 In the NBA Cup Quarterfinals, the Warriors trailed the Mavericks 81-74 in the first two quarters as defense was seemingly optional.
Offense wasn’t a problem for the Warriors. For the first time all season, the Warriors had four players score 20 or more points. Andrew Wiggins scored a team-high 29 points, followed by 26 from Steph Curry, 21 from Draymond Green and 20 from Jonathan Kuminga.
The Warriors’ 3-point shooting kept them in the game all night. It’s also almost impossible to win when a superstar like Doncić has a triple-double of 45 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists where he only misses seven shots and only two two-pointers.
Klay Thompson in his second game against the Warriors dropped 29 points, including 13 big ones in the fourth quarter.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ loss to the Mavs.
Luka’s cold hand
However, the Oklahoma City Thunder pushed Dončić to score just 16 points in Dallas’ previous game, the Warriors didn’t get the memo. From start to finish, Doncic did what he wanted against Golden State’s defense.
Dončić scored 15 points in the first quarter, 13 in the second and 13 more in the third quarter to give him a season-high 41 heading into the fourth. He was also already on a triple-double with 10 rebounds and 10 assists and had only missed three shots – all 3-pointers.
He’s not the fastest, he’s not the most athletic or the most explosive, but Dončić’s body control and eye manipulation are second to none. He was a professional before he even knew how to drive, and it shows every time he steps on the floor.
The first time the Warriors played the Mavs, they held him to 31 points, which seems comical. He was contained as Dončić made only two of his 10 3-point attempts. His hot start Sunday night was just too much to handle.
Dallas has other scoring options, notably with Thompson and Kyrie Irving, but Dončić is in a league of his own and the Warriors have paid for his greatness.
The return of Klay, gone II
There were more Santa hats than captain hats in the stands. The pre-match hype was silenced. And yet, seeing Thompson in a No. 31 Mavericks jersey at Chase Center, it will still take some getting used to.
His 3-point shot, however, is something Warriors fans will never forget. Thompson attempted three 3-pointers in the first quarter and converted on two. He then shot three more triples in the second quarter, missing all three, and entered halftime with eight points.
In the third quarter, Thompson began to heat up, hitting two early threes and a mid-range jumper that forced a Warriors timeout. After three quarters, Thompson had 16 points, three more than his season average of 13.3 points per game.
Following a disastrous sequence by Brandin Podziemski, Thompson nailed a corner three in the fourth quarter to give the Mavs a 12-point lead, and he screamed in jubilation. Thompson finished with a season-high 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting and 7-of-11 from long range, contributing to the game’s NBA record of 48 combined 3-pointers.
It’s no coincidence that his two most notable games this season were against his former team.
Sixth Man Draymond
For the second time this season, Steve Kerr started the game with Green on the bench. Anytime Green is not on the court, the Warriors defense is sure to take a hit. The Mavs certainly benefited too.
They made their first nine shots of the game. As surprising as it may seem, this is not a typo. By the time Green entered the game with seven and a half minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Warriors already trailed by 12 points, 23-11.
Behind Dončić’s elite play, the Mavs continued to roll, but Green was terrific to start the game. In the first quarter, he had nine points while making three of his four 3-point attempts. His fourth three of the night, this time in the second quarter, established a new Warriors franchise record – also tying an NBA record – and Green told the entire building about it.
Another three in the third quarter gave Green five on the night, his second-highest for a game. It also gave him a season-high 19 points. Green scored two more points in the fourth and finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists. How he starts matches will continue to be a storyline to watch as Kerr is always looking for the right combinations.
The Warriors are now 0-2 this season in the two games Green has come off the bench.
