Coming off a loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves without Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving in the lineup, the Dallas Mavericks sought to bounce back against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
With Doncic providing 39 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists, the Mavs won 132-122 and improved to 19-14 on the season. Meanwhile, the Dubs dropped to 15-17. Doncic needed a pre-game workout to determine his availability after entering the day due to left quad soreness.
He ultimately played, but Irving and Maxi Kleber were ruled out, while Draymond Green remained out due to an indefinite NBA suspension. The Warriors emphasized trying to contain Doncic by switching at the point of attack, sending help rotations using an early low man, and showing help at the nail when necessary.
It contrasted the standard approach teams have recently used by blitzing and double-teaming early to get the ball out of his hands. Doncic was hot early from deep, converting three makes to make the defense pay.
With the Warriors deploying small-ball personnel, the Mavs had to account for the challenges of Stephen Curry playing out of handoff actions, with the offense flowing into multiple actions.
It was the first time Dereck Lively II encountered this matchup, but he handled it well throughout the game. Dallas sometimes had issues finishing plays by not accounting for weak-side crashers and cutters. Even after Kevon Looney checked into the game, the Warriors put a small on Lively to neutralize the advantage of potentially bringing him up into a screening action.
However, the Warriors threw out a 3-2 zone late in the first quarter to give Doncic a different look, but the Mavs still led 34-26 at the end of the first quarter. Without Doncic on the floor, hot perimeter shooting from Grant Williams and Dante Exum was instrumental in pushing the lead to 12, capped off by Jaden Hardy countering a hedge in double drag for a mid-range step-back. Stephen Curry checked back into the game to provide a spark, but the Mavs still led by double figures when Doncic returned to action.
Curry led a 12-0 run to rally the Warriors back 49-45 with 3:09 remaining in the first half. The Warriors began doubling Doncic early in possessions late in the second quarter, enabling the Mavs to accept the coverage and play advantage basketball by hitting the short roller with the pass. Dallas got creative, running a Zoom action for Doncic, leading to a wide-open corner 3-pointer for Exum, pushing the lead back to double figures (60-48) with 1:12 left in the half.
A screen at midcourt by Lively flowing into a re-screen prevented a trap, resulting in an and-one on a lob. A baseline jumper from Chris Paul on an isolation possession before the half ended cut the Mavs’ lead to 63-54 after the team had been up by 10 or more often.
With Doncic struggling to get into the paint in the first half, the Mavs began deploying multiple screening actions to open things up for him. He successfully attacked space downhill, whether getting a paint finish or a mid-range jumper.
Exum and Hardy each had a finish at the rim playing off the catch as a release valve for Doncic, and then Lively later had a jump hook to finish a play. Doncic made a step-back 3-pointer after going through a drought from deep, showing signs of relief when it went through the net.
The shot put the Mavs up 80-67 midway through the period, sustaining an advantage the Mavs continued to hold. Shortly after, he dialed another against Looney on a switch, stifling the Warriors from manufacturing any meaningful momentum.
The Warriors began doubling Doncic again, prompting the Mavs to use him as an off-ball screener, leveraging the attention he commands to open up a teammate. Tim Hardaway Jr. took advantage, coming off a pindown into a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, answering Brandin Podziemski’s made triple that previously cut Dallas’ lead to single figures.
A four-point play from Josh Green further sustained momentum, pushing the team’s advantage to 15 points. The Mavs’ supporting cast made timely plays to punish the Warriors’ focus on Doncic.
While the Warriors scored 35 points in the third quarter, the Mavs’ hot offensive production outpaced them with 38, setting up a 101-89 edge at the start of the final period. With Doncic on the bench to begin the final frame, Exum initiated the offense, and Dallas sustained its lead.
However, after Doncic and Green returned, a made 3-pointer from Curry at the 8:09 mark of the final period cut the Mavs’ advantage to just seven points (108-101) after getting a clean look in transition. While the Warriors continued to make pushes, the Mavs regained a 117-106 advantage with 5:13 to play after Doncic made a one-legged jumper in mid-range, then Hardy hit a corner 3-pointer in transition, prompting Golden State to call a timeout.
Doncic had comfortably figured out the Warriors’ defense, converting on numerous momentum-killing step-back jumpers from mid-range against switches to sustain the edge. Curry made a 3-pointer, then the Warriors forced a steal against a broken-down Zoom action led to a turnover, creating a transition look for Paul that he made from deep, bringing the Warriors within five points (119-114). Doncic answered after going to the line, drawing a foul, and making both attempts.
While the Warriors made a few pushes, they couldn’t quite rally back to achieve the victory. Hardaway countered the defense that tried to double Doncic by making a tough mid-range shot as the weak-side relief option. Another foul sent Doncic to the line with the Mavs in the bonus, and he made both, pushing Dallas up by nine points (124-116) with 1:51 left to play.
While continuing to accept double teams, Doncic gave the ball up, and his teammates continued to deliver, with Exum driving down the middle of the floor for a scoop finish, creating an eight-point lead (127-119) with over a minute left. Golden State could not rally back, with Dallas having an answer for its coverages and getting stops when needed.
The Mavs will complete their three-game road trip with a matchup against the Utah Jazz on Monday.
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