ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — The Dallas Mavericks (26-21) were in town to face the Golden State Warriors (41-4), which won its 41st game two nights ago.
1st Quarter – Kruisin’ As Klay Nets 12, Curry “Ofer” Though
The Warriors got off to another strong start, using a 7-0 run to make an early 15-4 push with 8:22 remaining before Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle took a timeout.
Harrison Barnes seemingly broke out of a mini-slump with a wide-open three from the top, assisted by Stephen Curry on a laser pass from under the hoop, after Curry was found by Andrew Bogut.
Klay Thompson and Draymond Green got into the action as well, with Klay going give-and-go with Draymond from the right wing to Green at the top, then a layup for Thompson.
After, Thompson was the beneficiary again as he cut down the lane and received another layup from Green.
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
Klay and Bogut connected on the next two possessions, as Thompson drove in the lane and lofted an alley-oop that Bogut actually missed back-rim but then tapped in the miss.
Ray Felton tried a jumper after a previous layup past Bogut, but this time he missed, Bogut got the board, brought the ball up with body defense from Mavs’ big man Salah Mejri, then off the dribble found Klay wide open in the left corner for the triple that Carlisle followed with that timeout:
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
Out of the timeout, Thompson got a triple from Green, Barnes swished a fade-away, but Curry still couldn’t buy one as he missed from the left side. Meanwhile, Felton got a three over a lunging Curry at a shotclock buzzer, but Golden State was up comfortably already, 20-9.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr inserted Andre Iguodala, Brandon Rush, and Marreese Speights earlier than usual this time, leaving Steph and Klay in, but the Mavs went on a 7-0 run punctuated by a Dwight Powell slam dunk plus a J.J. Barea drive, to go along with two missed threes by Thompson, and Kerr took a timeout to stem the tide.
With 1:45 remaining and the Warriors up 26-16, Shaun Livingston subbed in for Steph, who had just 1 point on a defensive three-second technical foul shot. Curry was 0-for-4 from the field, 0-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Iguodala found Rush under the bucket just before a shotclock buzzer, then Leandro Barbosa “blurred” his way to the hoop for a layup after Livingston almost traveled with a jump pass, and Speights ended the quarter with a jump hook with 8.1 seconds left.
Powell actually got fouled before the buzzer but missed both free throws, and the Warriors took a 32-22 lead into the second quarter.
2nd Quarter – Klay-Pot Tasty While No Sign Of Chef Curry
Barnes continued his bucket-making with a two-handed dunk, getting a feed from Livingston after Thompson got an offensive rebound. Brandon Rush made an impact on the defensive end by blocking Barea’s shot early in the quarter.
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
But even as Curry and Green checked back in, Justin Anderson got a lefty layup down the lane, while Chandler Parsons, Wes Matthews, and Barea also scored, chipping away at the Golden State lead.
Powell also got two alley-oop layups and, after the second one, Kerr saw enough and called timeout with the Warriors’ lead dwindled to 40-34 with 5:47 to go.
Kerr inserted rookie Kevon Looney to play alongside Curry, Thompson, Barbosa, and Barnes, effective playing center, Golden State ran a 1-4 set with Looney and Barnes playing the high post, and Steph got a scoop layup past Felton:
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
Looney did well to grab a defensive board, then get a tip on an offensive layup miss by Barbosa, after drawing oohs and ahhs from #Roaracle as Leandro executed a quick spin with the dribble on the right side.
Looney immediately found Barnes next to him and Harrison rose for a jumper, but saw Thompson wide open on the right wing and zipped a pass cross-court to him, and Klay drilled it, forcing Carlisle to call timeout as the Warriors went back up, 49-44, with 2:33 left.
Bogut came into to close out the half and flipped the ball to Klay for another three from the right wing, then Thompson scored a layup finger roll on a sideout, notching 14 straight points for the Warriors.
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
But Deron Williams found JaVale McGee for a slam dunk and Thompson tried a heat-check before the buzzer but missed. Steph wound up with the offensive rebound and took a one-legged fade-away at the buzzer that airballed, finishing just 1-for-8 shooting, 0-for-4 from downtown, and just 3 points.
Klay netted 26 points on 8-for-13 field, 4-for-8 from beyond the arc and 6-for-6 from the free throw line, while Green didn’t even attempt a shot. Parsons led the Mavs with 12 points, 7 rebounds.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
